


NiGHTS: Twilight Dreaming

by Sorasnake281



Category: NiGHTS into Dreams
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 112,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26488573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorasnake281/pseuds/Sorasnake281
Summary: In this remake of an old Fan-Fiction, my childhood OC, now a protagonist in Twilight Wars, is placed into a coma to heal from a tulpa attack. During this time, she is brought to the world of dreams after twelve years of absence due to an incident that befell her as a child. Will she overcome the trials that await her, or will she fall prey to the Nightmare Realm once more?
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After thinking about whether or not she was selfish in protecting her friends by directing the danger to her, Crystal is attacked by shadow-like beings that took the form of her friends and siblings. Can she be saved on time?

The story begins some time after Crystal is admitted to the hospital due to a tulpa attack. She is now in a medically induced coma healing from the spiritual dragon king’s grip. Her appearance has changed almost completely. Her brown, blonde streaked hair was now at shoulder-length, but she remained the same weight she had always been from the many battles she was a part of. As she lay asleep in the ward, she began to dream while surrounded by her friends, and her family. She began to dream of something she had not returned to for years.

Crystal is in a battle class against a student in this dream. She was wearing a different outfit than she did in the real world. A white camisole tank top, a crop top, short sleeved cardigan, a pair of pink arm warmers, a pink plaid skirt, a pair of purple leggings, and a pair of black boots. Her hair remained the same length as it is in the real world. The battle raged on with a few onlookers off to the side. Although the boy of the same age as her continued to strike at her with a barrage of stones, she was quick to dodge each one of them. She danced around her opponent, Millennium Rod in hand. As she ran towards her opponent, he uses a giant stone to try and strike her down, but she dodged out of the way rather quickly. She then imbued herself in a flurry of lightning and rammed into her opponent with enough force, so much so that he was knocked off-balance. She aimed the Millennium Rod to him, and he said, “I surrender! I surrender!” Crystal sighed in relief, her golden-yellow eyes glistening with hope. The teacher of the class, her Aunt Iris clapped her hands.

“That’s all for today, students,” she said. “Class dismissed.” At that moment, Crystal’s phone rang out a notification. She walked over to her satchel, putting the Millennium Rod back on the holster, and grabbed it, taking out her phone in the process. She looked at the message, and it read the following:  
“There’s no divination lessons for today, sweetheart. You have some free time on your hands that you need to use for yourself. Tell your friends I said hello, all right. And do be careful while out and about.” _Typical mom,_ Crystal thought to herself.

“Mom’s letting me go do my own thing today,” she said to her Aunt Iris. “See you tomorrow, Auntie.”  
“See you tomorrow, kiddo,” she said with her golden-yellow god-like eyes. Crystal and the rest of the students went out the door. Iris beamed at her niece, and looked over at the calendar. It will be about three weeks before she enters the tournament of magic.

Meanwhile, in the city of Tacoma, Crystal is shown alongside her friends, Azure, a black-haired boy with violet eyes wearing blue, Crocus, a boy with long blonde hair tied in a low ponytail who is wearing yellow, her brother Zephyr who’s hair is brown and is styled in a spiked pompadour, her boyfriend Casper, whose hair is brown and skin is tanned, and is wearing red, Azure’s sister Malva who has cranberry red hair and is wearing mauve, Casper’s sister Twila who has the same skin-tone as her brother, though with white hair instead of brown like her brother, and her younger sister Jessica, who is still blonde and is still with yellow eyes. She was busy chatting away with her friends and family. As she continued to walk forward, she noticed something in the window of a plush shop. It was an angel plush together with a devil plush, both leaning against each other. She began to feel sad, as she felt something nagging at her heart. This made her remember all the injured people she had encountered, and how she had been saving lives for many years. She looked away from the window, and looked ahead at her friends who are looking at her in concern.

_Am I really doing the right thing by protecting my kind as well as the mortals? I feel that every time I try my best to protect everyone, they end up getting caught in the crossfire anyway_ , she thought. She looked at the ground, sighed in resignation and placed her hand over her face. _Maybe I’m a good guy, maybe I’m a bad guy. What am I really? I’m so confused._ All of a sudden, as though they where answering her thoughts, both plush dolls grew to human size, glared, and grinned menacingly at her, causing the glass to crack. Crystal’s head snapped into the direction of the two, and she was knocked back by shadows after the glass shatters. She looked up in horror as the scenery turned to darkness instantly, and all of her friends and family turned into shadow-like beings. She promptly got up, and began to run as fast as she could through the darkness, with the shadow creatures flying behind her, their eyes glaring at her menacingly in the darkness. The shadowy figures began to circle her in a taunting manner forcing her to stop running as she began attacking them in a blind panic. They swirled and danced around her elemental attacks, laughing, jeering and tormenting her as they did. Every move she tried, they evaded with ease. Crystal was out of options. She needed to retreat.

She ran away from the monstrous shadows in a hurry, with them following her in hot pursuit. They were so close to her that they almost grazed her. The chase went on, until a bright light had shown through, causing the darkness to recoil. Crystal stared in shock, wonder, and curiosity. As she reached for the light, the shadow creatures that pursued her before did not continue any further, and recoiled from the light in fright. As she went through it, the light surrounded the young seventeen year old girl, and she is transported to another world.

To be continued…


	2. Enter the Dream Gate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crystal enters the Dream Gate for the first time in twelve years. After saving Owl from a flock of Hollows, she seems to recall an event that transpired around this time, but is unable to remember what had transpired when she was young. Then a mysterious being appears before her. What is their intent, and why have they chosen her to come to the Dream Gate?

Crystal began floating down to the ground in a state of shock and wonder. She felt as though she was floating in what appeared to be a starry night sky, with a cluster of stars flying upwards past her as she fell. She began to look around, until she came upon an island that she was floating straight towards with grace. Using the gravity to her advantage, she gently landed straight down with her feet finally touching the ground. She began to look around at her new and oddly familiar surroundings. It was a rather small, grassy and rocky island over an ocean of black water with a fountain at the dead center of the island itself. The fountain contained a rainbow-like color in the water, and ran continuously without a sign of stopping.

She began to look at the many strange things of this place. One of which is a beautiful statue of an androgynous looking female figure, whose short-bobbed hair was decorated with what appeared to be two hair-clips designed to look like a crescent moon with a rhombus in the middle. The statue itself wore an outfit that matched that very design from the dress, down to the boots themselves. She felt as though she recognized the place right away. And then, a most curious thing fell from her lips.

“The Night Dimension?” she uttered in a confused tone. “How in the world am I dreaming this? I’m supposed to be in a coma trying to heal from the tulpa attack. Something’s not right here.” She began to walk around the perimeter of the island, her three-inch heels clicking on the ground as she did, and then she came across a rather frightening sight. A large brown owl is seen flying away from nightmarish bird-like creatures. Curiously, this owl was wearing a coat and glasses. Crystal recognized him right away.

“Owl?” she said to herself. She then looked over at the small bird like creatures as they continued to chase the old bird. She looked on in shock as they caught up with him and started pecking him. He hooted in fright as they continued to peck furiously at him from every angle possible.

“Stay back I say!” he shouted in fright. “Have you no respect for your elders?!” The nightmarish birds just laughed as they continued to attack him. Crystal was in disgust and anger at the sight that lay before her.

“Hey!” she yelled angrily at the flock. The nightmarish birds paid no mind to girl despite her angry shout. Owl was still in pain as he covered himself with his wings.

“Please I beg of you, let me pass!!” he shouted in fright. The birds pecked on causing some damage to his feathers.

“Get your grubby beaks off him!” Crystal retorted. She brandished her Millennium Rod and summoned some halo like disks from it, causing the bird like creatures to look over at her in shock. She swung her rod to the side, throwing the disks into the birds as they ricocheted off of each one, knocking them out instantly. Owl strained to look at the flock, but they all disappeared into dust. A concerned Crystal ran to the old bird.

“Owl?” she inquired. “Owl, are you okay?” She helped him onto his feet as he shook his head in pain. He turned his head in her direction with his eyes closed.

“How did you know my name, young lady?” he asked. He opened his eyes at that exact moment to look up at Crystal, only to give a rather surprised hoot the moment he sees her. A concerned Crystal had just put the Millennium Rod back on her holster and has placed her hand over her heart in fear for his safety. Owl immediately realizes who she was right away. He has a flashback to a young girl, five years old, who looked almost like Crystal, but with straight brown hair done in a half-ponytail. The only thing they had in common was the golden yellow eyes. She was wearing what appeared to be a mint green shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of black Mary-Jane shoes. She was giggling to Owl in the vision as she ran up to him.

“Hi Owl!” she said cheerfully while beaming at him. The vision ends with him returning to reality once more, this time with Crystal standing over the old bird with her eyes fixated on him in concern.

“My word! Crystal?!” he shouted in surprise. “I hardly recognized you with those blonde streaks of yours!” He beamed at her despite the pain.

“My look how you’ve grown!” he said cheerfully. “And just in the nick of time!” He tried to fly, but was restricted by the pain. Crystal gasped and quickly put her hands on him, steadying him from the fall.

“Take it easy, old timer,” she said to him. “You took quite a beating from those bird monsters earlier. Here, let me help you.” She then placed her hand on his forehead and began to heal him. The scratches he endured then began to fade as he looked at his wounds. In a manner of seconds, his pain was gone.

“Ooo hoo!” he hooted in a cheery tone. “You’re power has grown alongside you!” He turned his head to her and added, “Exponentially I might add!” Crystal rubbed her neck and giggled in embarrassment with her eyes closed as he said this. She then got up and looked around the area with Owl looking up at her with a smile on his beak.

“It’s weird,” she said curiously while laughing a little. “Here I am, put under a medically induced coma, only to come into the World of Dreams after twelve years of absence. All because of an incident related to me in some way. I honestly don’t know how this happened.” Owl shook his head as she said this.

“You shouldn’t take the term ‘World of Dreams’ so lightly, Crystal,” he explained. Crystal looked over at him curiously.

“Hmm? Why not?” she asked with curiosity.

“As a reminder, what you dream is in fact this world,” he explained. “And it is my belief that you were called here for a purpose. A purpose that you must discover on your own.” Owl then flew in to the front of the young girl and added, “You say you are in a coma at the moment to heal from whatever infliction you may have, but there are times when even a coma can bring you to the Night Dimension. So, if you wish to find out your purpose for this world, I would suggest looking beyond the door to Nightopia.” A look of realization spreads across her face as it then morphs into a look of shock and dismay.

“Nightopia!” Crystal exclaimed. “I completely forgot about that place! The Dream Jester’s supposed to be making the rounds by now! I’ve gotta go find him!” She then looked at her hand and said, “Let me see how many dream orbs do I have on hand.” As she said this, a glow of crimson red light appears in her hand. She appeared to have expected more colors than red, but she looked down at her hand in dismay.

“Oh no,” she said with a sigh of disappointment.

“What’s the matter?” asked Owl concerned. “Is something wrong with your Ideya, deary?” Crystal closed her eyes and did a nose-sigh as she turned to the old bird with her head down.

“If you mean those color-coded dream orbs, then yes,” she explained. “Those shadows I fought earlier must of taken most of mine during the scuffle on the way here. The only one they didn’t take is the red one.” She then shows the red light in her hand to Owl who examines it right away. He smiles at the dismayed child and gives her a reassuring pat on the back with one of his wings as she looked back at him in concern.

“Don’t be dismayed, Crystal,” he said smiling to her. “The Ideya of Courage within you is just what we need to reach Nightopia. Now, keep your chin up. Let us find a door that we can go through. I’m sure that carefree little rascal you mentioned is out there somewhere.” Crystal smiled. He knew exactly who she was talking about. She then began to walk around the area in a circle, hoping to find a doorway of some kind so that she may enter her dream world and find her friend from twelve years ago. Just then, as sudden as a bright light, a phantom of some kind appears before her startling the young girl. The phantom being actually looked identical to the statue she had seen while exploring the island. The only difference was that her large, cat-like eyes were now open, revealing the same golden hue as Crystal’s eyes, and now her attire was in full color, her dress and boots were golden yellow, her short-bobbed hair and leggings were bronze yellow in color, the crescent moons were all yellow, and the rhombus like gems were red, just like Crystal’s red Ideya. The figure was transparent, just as a phantom should be, and was also glowing like the light of the moon. Crystal wasn’t sure of what to make of this phantom Nightmaren girl, and she stepped back a little in a defensive stance, clenching her Millennium Rod at the ready. Her apprehension was quickly dismissed when the phantom Nightmaren spoke.

“A warm welcome to you, Princess Crystal,” she said in a voice that sounded like a female British child.

“Who are you?” Crystal asked, unsure of what to make of her sudden appearance. “And how did you know my name?”

“I am your guardian of this world,” the phantom replied. “I am the one who called you here to the Night Dimension, and I am here to guide you to your destiny for this world. Your presence is required to bring balance to this world and the Waking World once more. Do you still wish to seek out your long lost friend?” Crystal relaxed her grip on the Millennium Rod and nodded to the ghostly figure. She smiled and reached her transparent hand to the young princess.

“Good. Then let us delay your quest no longer,” she responded. “The door to Nightopia is waiting for you. Take heed. Come.” The ghostly figure began to float away from her as she released her grip from the ancient scepter. Crystal, now mesmerized by her appearance, as well as blindly trusting her, followed in her direction. It didn’t take long for Owl to take notice.

“Hmm?” he inquired. “Where are you going, dear?”

“I’m not sure,” Crystal replied. “But I think someone’s calling out to me. I think she’s trying to show us something we missed. Come on.” She continued to follow the spirit waiting for her with Owl following close behind. The spirit lead to duo to a rather decorative door. This door, white in color, consisted of beautiful gemstones and a tiara in the stain glass window above it. The Nightmaren spirit, still floating backwards, phased through the door as though it was mist. Crystal was amazed at the design of the door. She immediately recognized it when she saw the tiara stain glass.

“The Quartz Palace!” she exclaimed in excitement. “Oh I haven’t been there in ages!” Owl looked up in surprise as well.

“It seems whoever called you forth has guided to you right to Nightopia!” he said happily. “I do believe that you have a guardian angel in this world! Perhaps they want you to enter this world and assist you with whatever is missing from your heart.”

“In other words,” Crystal replied, “they want to help me find my missing Ideya. Sounds like I’ll be on one dreamy adventure of a life time.” She looked around again. She took notice to four other areas where doors should be shown, but could see nothing but rubble.

“Look’s like the Quartz Palace is the only one available,” she noted. She turned to Owl and added, “So that’s where we’ll go.”

“Stay on your guard, Crystal,” he replied. She nodded with a smile. Crystal then walked up to the door, and opened it. She peered in for a brief moment before a bright light filled the area, and she and Owl enter the door together.  
  
To be continued…


	3. The Quartz Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After entering her first Nightopia, Crystal begins to wonder where our favorite court jester is and goes to look for him. She is certain that his sibling may have had something to do with his disappearance. Little does she know that someone was watching her from afar.

Crystal had just entered the door alongside Owl and is amazed to see a crystalline landscape. The grass is as green as the emeralds, the flowers are all red, blue, yellow, orange, and purple, the colors of rubies, sapphires, topazes, citrons, and amethysts, and the earthy walls looked as though they were made from jasper. And the landscape was covered from cliff to mountain in crystal quartz of all colors, from lavender quartz, to milky quartz, and even smokey quartz. Crystal recognized the scenery right away as she looked around in awe. She knew what this place was right away. This was her childhood dream, right here before her very eyes.

“Wow!” she said in quiet amazement. “This place has been completely renovated from when I last came here. And to think I dreamed this place up twelve years ago.”

“Well, Nightopia is the reflection of a visitor’s heart after all,” Owl chimed in. “In your case, this place reflects both your newly acquired strong will, as well a heart of great purity.”

“Strong mind, strong heart,” she replied with a smile and a chuckle. “That sounds about right.” She looked around the place for any sign of life roaming about. She can see some minor Nightmarens being playful with some of the angelic creatures, as well as fellow visitors playing with some of denizens of the realm. As soon as she looked over to the right, a tiny angelic creature came to her with a playful smile. Crystal knelt her five foot three self down to its’ height.

“Hi there little guy,” she greeted the creature. It jumped a little in excitement and babbled. Owl approached the two as it jumped.

“This little one is a Nightopian,” he explained as Crystal turned her head to him. “They are the denizens of Nightopia, and are kind, gentle souls who love to play with all the visitors that come and go where ever they go.” Crystal looked back at the Nightopian.

“Do you know where the Dream Jester is, little fella?” she asked. The Nightopian was a bit confused at first before Owl chimed in saying, “She’s referring to that carefree little rascal. Have you seen him?” The Nightopian thought for a moment before replying by shaking it’s head no. Others had arrived alongside the one Nightopian and she was amazed. They circled around her like a halo. Another Nightopian was flying toward a small crystalline cave and greeted a peeking sheep-like creature hiding in there. The creature, who looked like a yellow cloud with a sheep’s head on it, its horns colored red and green, came out of the cave in curiosity. It was around the same size as the Nightopian greeting it. The Nightopian beckoned it to follow it, and the two approached Crystal and Owl. The Nightopian pointed to the former and babbled a bit to the sheep-like cloud. The sheep gave an excited bleat, and circled around a surprised Crystal. She immediately recognized it the moment it bounced up and down in the air in excitement.

“Cumula!” she said excitedly as she reached out to it. The sheep, now called Cumula, jumped right into her arms. Crystal held the little sheep in her embrace as they nuzzled each other, the former smiling a warm grin. Owl smiled at the two.

“I thought I recognized that Shleep anywhere,” he said hooting a little in amusement. “Cumula has been visiting your dream since the day you were sent away for your protection. She was waiting for the day that you would one day return here to Nightopia. A remarkable act of true loyalty.”

“So you’re pretty much our sheep version of Hatchiko?” said Crystal nuzzling the Shleep. “I missed you so much, you sweet little Shleep!” The Shleep then jumped from Crystal’s arms and flew straight to her cave. She was in there for a brief moment before she came back out with what appeared to be a stuffed lamb toy in her mouth. Cumula produced a bleat as she presented the toy to her. Crystal gasped.

“There’s my Lamb-Lamb!” she said in recognition. She took the toy from the Shleep’s mouth and examined it. It was a purple, bipedal stuffed lamb with a ribbon choker around its neck. She checked the back of it and noticed a few holes in it, as if it was worn from twelve years of use.

“Nothing a good sewing can’t handle,” she said. She pulled out a sewing kit from her bag, and after placing some thread in the needle, she began to mend the toy. Little did she and the others knew that they were being watched by another androgynous figure. It was the same species as the phantom from before. The only difference was it was dressed like a harlequin. Orange and yellow stripes as part of the attire, a hat with only one tassel, a pair of white boots, white gloves, and even a white collar. The creature also had a silvery-white mask on. It eyed Crystal curiously. _What’s a visitor doing here,_ it thought.

“There we go,” said Crystal. “All patched up.” She put the Lamb-Lamb toy in her bag and added, “Thank you for taking care of her, Cumula.” The Shleep bleated gratefully in return. Crystal looked at the sky as if searching for someone. She checked left and then right. Owl took notice of her concern.

“You’re still worried about him, aren’t you?” he asked.

“Strange,” she replied while looking at the sky. “I thought he was patrolling the skies of Nightopia by now but all I see are diamond clustered clouds. Something’s not right here.” She turned to Owl and said, “I hate to leave the elderly to fend for themselves, but I need to find the Dream Jester. Meantime, I’m gonna need you to take cover by hiding in the safest spot possible. Will you be okay without me?”

“I’ll be all right dear,” he replied. He turned to Cumula while adding, “I’m sure Cumula will assist you in finding him.”

“Good,” she said smiling in relief. “I hate to say it, but with that notorious Nightmare Jester making the rounds, there’s a good chance the little rascal got himself into a heap of trouble.”

“That is true,” Owl remarked. “In fact, I’m sure he is awaiting your arrival as we speak. Do what you will to earn his trust. And I’ll be sure to keep an eye on you to the best of my abilities.” Owl disappeared from sight the moment he said this. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief.

“At least he’ll be okay,” she said to herself. Cumula floated up to Crystal and poked her a bit while bleating.

“All right Cumula,” she replied to the little Nightmaren. “Lead the way, girl.” Cumula then took off to the left with Crystal following right behind her. She was taking her across the canyon, while goading her to keep up. _I need to follow Cumula,_ she thought. _She has to know where the Dream Jester is._ She continued to follow the Shleep across the canyon. The two went in that direction for about ten minutes. Eventually, the two spy a cage up ahead. They gasped and hid behind a smokey quartz cluster right beside them as soon as they saw what appeared to be a vulture flying passed and straight to the cage. It was magenta in color and had what appeared to be a rider on it. It landed right beside the bottom of the cage, as if it where guarding the chain leading up to it.

“Nightmarens,” Crystal said peaking behind from behind the cluster. “Should’ve known.” Cumula was a bit scared and it didn’t take long for Crystal to notice. The Shleep looked at her sadly thinking that she’s made her mad at being the same species as them.

“Hey now,” she said in a whisper. “Just because you and the Dream Jester are one of them does not mean you’re the bad guys. I admire those who call their own shots.” Cumula bleated a sheepish sigh of relief upon hearing this. Crystal looked up at the cage and spotted a familiar face. Inside the cage was a jester-like creature with soft, violet, cat-like eyes, wearing a European-type outfit, with white sleeves ending at purple and yellow, zigzag cuffs, a pink and red vest, a purple jester-like hat with two tassels, purple pants, and a pair of yellow, pink, and purple boots. There was also a large red diamond on his chest, which was quite strange. He lacked a neck, a nose, and ears. Crystal recognized him right away.

“There’s the Dream Jester,” she whispered to Cumula. “But why is he wearing a mask? He’s not even working for his creator anymore.” She was right. The jester-like Nightmaren was wearing a golden mask with a red diamond in the middle and a few blue feathers at the top. Crystal’s eyes narrowed at the guard next to the cage. _I’ve got to get him out of there,_ she thought. _If I can knock this guy out with a sleeping spell, and take his key, he’ll be out of that cage in no time._ She then turned invisible much to Cumula’s surprise and relief. Little did they know that the same harlequin Nightmaren from before was watching her and it freaked out upon seeing her use some magic. It flew off over to the right with fear over-taking its facade.

In another part of the dream realm was another jester-like creature. He looked similar to the purple jester, but his skin was a bone white, he had long pink nails on his bone white fingers, and he had hard, blue eyes. He was also quite muscular. He wore a red hat with black stripes that curved inwards, a red vest over a black bondage, a pink collar around his non-existent neck, a gold chain necklace with a pink gemstone on it, boots that matched his vest, hip plates, and arm guards, and a golden mask with crows feathers decorated on the sides, which hide the black scars over his eyes. He was looking at the other visitors intently, as if scouting for easy prey. His black painted lips scowled as he looked around the realm at each visitor. He was clearly annoyed at the lack of easy prey. Suddenly, the harlequin Nightmaren flew right to him in a panic.

“My lord!” it shouted, sounding like a lady. The red and black jester turned to her, but was clearly annoyed at her presence.

“Still a coward as always, Harley?” he retorted with his eyes narrowed in annoyance. His voice sounded masculine, mirroring his appearance.

“A visitor!” Harley yelled frantically. “There’s a visitor at the cage!”

“What?!” he growled.

“Sir, she used some sort of magic!” she added. “She’s gotta be one of those Magicians of Light or something!” The red and black jester looked down at his hand as he growled angrily, causing a blue flame to appear. It dissipates soon after he clenches it.

“Go and inform Master Wizeman!” he shouted angrily. “I will join you once I’m through with the intruder!” He then flew off in the direction of the cage leaving the shaken Nightmaren behind. Harley then shook herself loose from her state of shock, and went in the opposite direction to no doubt speak to their creator.

Meanwhile, Crystal, who had been stealthy sneaking up the guard went from one cluster to another, all while trying not to make a sound. She walked up to the guard, aimed her Millennium Rod at his head and whispered “Somnus.” This caused the guard and the bird to fall asleep, which made them fall over. Crystal, after putting her rod back on the holster and canceling her invisibility, snuck up to the sleeping guard and frisked it for the key. She found it, as it was about the size of her arm, and went straight for the cage.

While the purple jester was sitting there in the air with his arms and legs crossed, he heard someone trying to get his attention. “Psst!” He uncrossed his arms and legs and looked in the direction of the sound. It was Crystal climbing up the chain into the cage. She made her way to the top, with the arm sized key in tow. She got her top half of the body up there and whispered to him, “I’m getting you out of here.”

While she climbed up there, the red and black jester is flying over the sky towards the direction of the cage, causing many third-level Nightmarens and Nightopians to hide from his wrath. _How could a visitor find him so quickly?! Whoever_ _this_ _visitor is, they’re going to pay dearly for their interference!_ He flew right passed the crystalline castle in a rage.

Meanwhile, Crystal had just gotten into the cage the purple jester is in. She held up the key and aimed at the walls of the cage. The key let loose a straight beam of light at them, shattering it within. She fell right down and landed right on her feet as both the key, and the cage, disappeared into a cloud of dust. The purple jester floated to her in curiosity and worry. She looked up at him smiling.

“That did the trick,” she said to him. Cumula went right up beside the two as she said this. The purple jester breathed a silent sigh of relief when he noticed that she was okay. Crystal looked up at him and asked, “Glad to be out of that cage, huh?” Instead of saying something, the purple jester simply nodded in agreement. It didn’t take long for her to notice that.

“Hey, why aren’t you saying anything?” she asked, curious about his oddly quiet nature. Although he was surprised a little at the question, he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment while drawing an X over his mouth.

“Mute?” she said a little surprised. She was clearly used to him talking all the time. She then examined the mask he’s still wearing by running her right index and middle finger over it causing him to look at his mask as well in curiosity.

“Did your brother do this to you?” she asked sternly. She then took the middle portion and removed the mask from his face allowing him to rub his gloved hand over one side. She then tossed it right behind her. However, the mask flew right passed the left side of her and right back to its owner much to her confusion. The purple jester then took the floating mask and put it in his vest for safe keeping while Crystal shrugged with a smile. She placed her hand and his shoulder.

“I hope that feels bet-” she was interrupted when the purple jester shushed her and pointed behind her. She looked in the direction and saw the same red and black jester in the air. He was at least fifteen feet away from them, as well as twenty feet in the air with two more vulture Nightmarens beside him, one blue, the other green. She gasped as she looked up at him and his cronies in horror while Cumula let out a distressed bleat.

“Seize them!” he ordered angrily. The two vultures then start to fly right at the trio. Cumula is in distress flying around both Crystal and the purple jester letting out bleat after bleat. Crystal looked at the black and red jester, and took notice of a smile curling his black-painted lips. She flinched at this. She thought to herself, _How did he get here so fast?_ She thrust her right hand at the purple jester shouting, “Take my hand!” The purple jester looked at her in confusion while Cumula looked up at her master in surprise.

“Quick!” she shouted. “My red Ideya should be enough to get us away from those vultures! Hurry! I don’t care if you’re the same species as him!” The purple jester at first felt some discomfort upon her saying that, but then he looked at Cumula who was nudging him as if encouraging him to give it a try.

“Look! I trust you, okay?!” Crystal said in desperation. She put her hand over her heart as she said this. The purple jester then realized that she was true of heart, and noble in spirit. He had a minor flash back to a little girl who said and almost identical line. It was the same girl Owl had a vision of.

“I trust you whether you’re a Nightmaren or not,” she said cheerfully. The flashback ends with him looking over her shoulder at the coming vultures. He then smiled at her and gave a nod of approval. Crystal smiled right back and held out her right hand once again. He does the same and the two pressed their palms and locked their fingers together. The two are then engulfed in a bright light as they merge themselves into one. The vultures recoiled from the intense light. The red and black jester had witnessed their assimilation as well, and reared his head back while covering his masked face with his eyes shut tightly and shouting, “No!”

After a few seconds, the light dissipated and only the purple jester remained, while Crystal is nowhere to be seen. In actuality, she is right beside him, transparent, just like the Nightmaren girl from before. What ever movement she did, he did and vice-versa.

“Hey, it worked!” she said looking at purple jester with a smile. He beamed at her as she said this. The two turn around to look at the red and black jester, who by now was staring at the duo in anger and disgust. His fist was clenched in anger as he growled at them. The two waved at their adversary.

“See ya, Nightmare Jester!” Crystal shouted while smiling. They then fly off in the opposite direction of the red and black jester and his minions.

“After them, you fools!” he commanded angrily. The two vultures, now joined by the magenta one as he and his rider had just woken up from the light, flew after them as the two flew in the direction of the Quartz Palace.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harley belongs to me if you're curious about the Nightmaren that popped up while Crystal fixed her old toy. She'll be appearing sparingly throughout the story.


	4. A Daring Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal and Nights have now dualized and are working together to escape from the latter's malevolent counterpart and his minions. After doing so, an opportunity is given to the young princess. Will she accept it?

The purple jester and Crystal are flying through the air while getting away from the now three vultures. Crystal spoke to him as they flew, “I’ll navigate us away from your brother and his three stooges.” The purple jester understood with a nod and a smile, and they continued to fly through the Nightopian sky. Crystal, who had her eyes forward alongside his was watching everything from his point of view. As they flew at the speed of an eagle in motion, she looked onward and noticed some pillars of jasper up ahead.

“Turn left!” she shouted. The jester did as instructed and dodged the jasper pillar. They occasionally looked at the mirror pillars they flew past to see if the vultures and the red and black jester were behind them. They see a fork in the road up ahead, but Crystal wasn’t easily fooled. She used her power of foresight to look ahead of the path before them, and see if one of them is a dead end.

“Turn right!” she told the purple jester. He did just that. Although the red and black jester was still right behind them along with his three vultures. The girl looked up ahead of the series of crystal quartz towers in the path. She saw the three openings in the distance. She then commanded the following directions.

“Up, down, and left,” she told him. Thankfully the purple jester was quick to respond with movement the moment she told him. They did the exact sequence together in hopes of shaking them off. Crystal continued the pattern of checking ahead with her power. This time she saw some cave up ahead and they dived right in. She saw another fork in the road, but quickly determined the right path to take.

“Take a right!” she shouted, and the jester turned right as instructed. He was getting the hang of her navigation. She noticed that there was a small opening up ahead.

“Heads up, this is a tight squeeze!” she told him. “Hold your arms off to the side like an airplane! Then pivot yourself to the left!” He smiled, as if he wanted to do something like that. They flew toward the opening and he did as instructed. He managed to make it through the hole. Unfortunately for these two, so did the red and black jester. He’s been watching their movements the whole time. As soon as he made it through however, he looked behind him, only to find his three vultures stuck in the hole he had gone through.

“Arrgh! You idiots!” he shouted at them. He turned towards the purple jester and Crystal, who’ve already got a head start thanks to him losing his men. He scowled at the duo in disgust and anger. “Fine. I’ll capture them myself!” He then resumed his pursuit of the duo. They managed to make their way over the cliff before they crashed into it, and they were flying over the crystalline landscape. The purple jester looked over at the mirror pillars and noticed that neither the red and black jester nor the vultures were behind them. He snickered a silent snicker.

“Don’t celebrate just yet, mister,” said Crystal smiling. “We still need to find a safe place to land. Plus we need to keep our eyes on the flight path.” The purple jester gave a smile as if he was slightly embarrassed yet grateful for her help. She looked up to see another flight path ahead for the duo.

“Let’s hide in the canyon just in case,” she said to him. He nodded and they flew towards their destination. As they were about to enter, however, a shadow like orb came right in their direction, knocking them off balance.

“Whoa!” Crystal shouted as they looked behind them. “Your brother is right on our tail!” She was right. The red and black jester had been tailing them the whole time. He charged another shadow orb and shot it at the two. They were dodging every shot fired, but he persisted. He laughed maniacally, his laugh sounding very creepy, as if he was grown man giggling like a five-year-old child. Crystal cringed upon hearing that. _He’s clearly enjoying the chase_ , she thought.

“Let’s shake him off before he catches us,” she said wearily. The purple jester caught on to her slight fear and gave a reassuring pat to her on the head, making her do the same in unison.

“You’re right,” she said sheepishly, “I shouldn’t show any fear to the enemy. Let’s go.” The two continued to fly toward the canyon with the red and black jester in hot pursuit. As they dodged orb after orb, Crystal continued to use her foresight to look ahead for dead ends, as well as anything they could use to their advantage. She saw one fork in the road and yelled, “Turn left!” The purple jester obeyed. The duo turned left with the red and black jester in hot pursuit. The shadow orbs were not letting up as the duo continued to evade them and his grabs. Crystal foresaw another fork in the road.

“Left again!” she commanded, and they turned. They were now in a longer canyon. Crystal looked at the area she had foreseen and noticed something intriguing. _Gotcha,_ she thought with a smirk.

“There’s a trampoline in the wrong turn!” she told him. The purple jester looked at her as if he were listening while she added, “Let’s use that to our advantage!” He gave a mischievous smile to her before they flew faster. The red and black jester took notice and quickly picked up speed. They flew over to the fork in the road, and went to the left, where a trampoline was waiting at the end. The purple jester did something incredible. He began to spin like a drill straight at the trampoline, and once he made contact, it bounced both he, and Crystal, zoomed right past the red and black jester, who had just flown in to catch them. He went passed him with enough force to knock the mask off his nightmarish counterpart’s face. Said mask fell into a nearby portal.

“Woo hoo hoo hoo!” Crystal hollered in excitement. The red and black jester was knocked for a loop as he clutched his face. He looked over at the two in anger and fury as they flew right off into the crystalline sky. He can hear her yell and laugh in excitement as they disappeared from his sight. His anger turned to frustration.

“How did that girl know of our power?” he asked himself angrily. “Whoever this visitor is, she has no business interfering with our plans! She will pay dearly for this!” He looked over at a nearby mirror pillar and noticed his missing mask, his cat-like eyes widening in surprise.

“Oops!” he said as he turned away from the mirror. “Seems I’ve lost my persona.” He looked over at a nearby quartz, which displayed an image of Crystal and his kinder counterpart flying together. He glared at the duo as he grimaced at their new-found friendship.

“I’ll deal with them later,” he said to himself. “Right now, I need to retrieve my persona before Master Wizeman takes notice.” He then creates a vortex by flying in a circle in the air, and flies right into it, transporting himself to another part of the dream realm.

Meanwhile, Crystal and the purple jester have just made it to another canyon. As they are about to land, they separate themselves in the air, allowing the former to twirl around like an acrobat whilst falling to the ground. As she landed feet first, she performed three backward flips before performing an aerial twist, and finally landing on her feet. She looked up at the purple jester who had just landed a good three feet in front, with a look of both concern and happiness. He was impressed with her acrobatic gymnastics. She stood up and dusted herself off along with tapping her toes into the ground while saying, “I’m sorry I didn’t come to your aid sooner, Dream Jester. I still can’t believe that I’m back in Nightopia after all this time.” The purple jester looked at her in surprise with a hint of curiosity. He approached the girl slightly as if he were cautious about her reaction. Crystal took notice and quickly said, “Oh! You don’t recognize me at all, do you? Guess I have some explaining to do.” She then flipped her long, blonde-streak hair back and straightened herself out, before placing her hand over her heart and smiling at the curious Nightmaren.

“I don’t know if you remember me, Dream Jester,” she began to speak to him to jog his memory, “but you and I used to play with each other twelve years ago before the incident forced me out of Nightopia for my protection. I can’t remember exactly, but I know it was something bad, as if Pandora’s Box was opened up without warning. Does the name ‘Crystal’ ring a bell?” The purple jester gave a surprised look as soon as she said her name. This was quickly replaced with joy as his cat-like eyes began to twinkle and a joyful smile spread across face. He leaped at the girl, trapping her in a bear hug and flew towards the sky, spinning joyfully as he beamed and hugged her so tightly that she was giggling like the teenager that she is.

“Hey! Easy! Easy! I missed you too!” she said to him playfully. “You got a strong bear hug for a skinny-ninny!” He immediately brought her to the ground as she dusted herself off again while giggling a little. She then turned to him and said, “I never got your name when we first met. Can you tell me? No voice needed since you’ve been rendered mute somehow.” The purple jester held his right finger out to her with a wink as if telling her to wait a moment. Then he flew into the air once more. He then used the dust to create a crescent moon as well a few stars. Crystal recognized the image straight away.

“Nighttime,” she deduced. The purple jester winked at her again before he continued the image, this time adding the number two at the end of the image. She then noted the change in image.

“Nighttime times two,” she said thinking. The purple jester flew right next Crystal while she thought over her answer. Her answer fell from her lips in a whisper with him right beside her, “Nights.” As she thought over her answer carefully, he nodded excitedly at her as she looked back at him.

“Nights?” she asked with confirmation. “Is that your name?” He twirled around her in a playful manner as she looked at him with a smile. He then landed in front of her and gave a bow.

“Well now Nights,” Crystal replied. “Looks like we have a lot of catching up to do.” The jester, now known as Nights, gave one more bear hug which she reciprocated back this time. Owl and Cumula were just coming around the corner, along with another Nightmaren, who was the same level as Nights, when they separated each other from their embrace with Owl hooting in joy upon seeing the two.

“Well done! Well done!” Owl congratulated them in elation. Cumula was just as impressed as she bleated and circled the duo. Owl added, “Escaping from that Nightmaren hoard was no easy feat, but I had faith that you would eventually lose them in chase.” Nights waved hello to Owl, and when Cumula approached the playful Nightmaren and bleated in greeting, he beamed and patted her soft cloudy fur. Crystal took notice of the Nightmaren behind Owl, who was just as androgynous looking as Nights, though without the jester-like hat. His color-scheme was a combination of black and pink. His cat-like eyes were pink in color, his skin was white as snow, and his hair was short and black as ebony. As for his outfit, he was wearing a pink short-sleeved shirt with a magenta collar and cuffs under a black waist-coat, a pair of pink pants, and a pair of black boots with magenta gem spurs to compliment the pink and black aesthetic of his character. He had also had a magenta gemstone necklace just below his collar.

“Hey, who’s that behind you, Owl?” Crystal asked out of curiosity. Owl looked at the other Nightmaren and replied, “Oh hoo! I had almost forgotten about him!” He turned to Crystal and added, “Allow to introduce Rhodonite. He is one of the latest members of our resistance.” He then turned to Rhodonite. “Rhodonite, this is the visitor that I had informed you about.” He looked over at Crystal and was amazed at the amount of power he perceived despite dressing like a normal teenager. He waved excitedly at her.

“Howzit, little lady!” he spoke, sounding like a male teenager. “I heard so much about you! Owl over here couldn’t stop yammering away about your elemental magic.” Owl looked over at the youthful Nightmaren with a blank look as Nights emitted a silent snicker upon hearing this. Crystal patted Owl on the back as an act of reassurance.

“I’m actually surprised you got away from the Nightmaren Commander,” Rhodonite added. “He’s actually one of the best fliers in the Nightmare Realm and was created around the same time as Nights over here.” He points to Nights as he says this. The purple Nightmaren felt a little uncomfortable after hearing this, but Crystal then tells him, “Don’t let that get the best of you Nights. You made the right call cutting your strings, just like Rhodonite over here.” Nights looked at her, as she put her hand on his back as an act of reassurance. He smiles when she says this.

“In any case,” said Rhodonite, “I heard from Owl that you’re in coma mode at the moment thanks to those nasty tulpas, so we’re gonna have to take you under our invisible wings until you wake up from the healing process, all right?”

“Really?” Crystal asked a little confused. “Owl did mention a resistance of some kind.”

“Of course,” Owl said to her. “We’ve created a refuge area for the Nightmarens who defied their wicked creator. You already know who it is, don’t you?” Crystal gave a small shiver upon hearing Owl’s question.

“Wizeman the Wicked,” she said wearily. “The god of nightmares himself. I know about him all too well.” Nights looked in the direction of the sky with a glare when she said his name. Crystal added, “I only hope he doesn’t find any of the rebels wherever you guys are.”

“Not while there’s a barrier over head, he’s not,” Rhodonite chimed in. “All righty then, let’s head on down to our HQ. What do you say, little lady? Care to join the fight against our dictator of a creator?” Crystal thought it over for a moment, while Nights gave her a playful nudge. She then looked over at Owl, Nights, and Cumula, who all nod to her in agreement, then back at Rhodonite.

“I’m in,” she said while patting her heart.

“Atta girl!” Rhodonite said while playfully playing with one of her blonde bangs. He turned to Nights and said, “Nights, you can dualize with our new recruit. It’ll be as fast as an eagle!” Nights nodded in agreement as Crystal looked at the two with wide eyes.

“Oh so that’s what that process is called,” Crystal replied. She then realized what he was talking about. “I almost forgot I had Nights take my hand earlier so as to escape his evil brother. Dream Fusion is what I called it.”

“That is known as dualizing, Crystal,” Owl replied. “As you have no doubt performed yourself, the visitor and the Nightmaren can assimilate one another by joining hands. The visitor will lend the Nightmaren their dream energy in order work together in unison. Though sadly, only a first-level Nightmaren, like Nights, is able to perform such a feat.”

“It’s also a good way to get to know the visitor ahead of time,” Rhodonite chimed in. “Wait until everyone back at HQ hears about this! Oh man! This is so exciting! Our first Magician of Light visitor in the front lines!”

“Calm yourself, Rhodonite,” Owl told him. “If the Nightmaren Army were to catch wind of our location, it would be the end of the resistance.” Rhodonite faltered a bit after that.

“Shoot, I forgot about that,” he said burying his face in his hand. He quickly recovered from the brief sorrow, and added, “But still, our first Magician of Light visitor! Things just can’t get any better than this! Race you guys back to HQ!” He then took off into the air. Nights looked up at him while beaming, as he was glad he wasn’t the only childish Nightmaren of the resistance. Crystal giggled a little bit.

“He kinda reminds me of my little brother, Zephyr,” she said playfully, “without those stupid puns of his.” Owl looked at the duo with hope in his heart.

“Regardless,” he responded, “he is correct to assume that you are needed in the resistance. Since this is your fight as well, I would suggest preparing yourself for the trials ahead. I will be waiting for the both of you at the resistance headquarters located near the Dream Gate.” Owl disappeared from sight as soon as he finished his speech. Nights and Crystal look at each other and smiled. He holds his hand out to her and she gives a silent nod before taking it. The two are once again engulfed in a bright light before they assimilate one another once again. Now that the duo have combined themselves once more, they took off back to the door leading to the Dream Gate.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rhodonite belongs to me. He is one of the main characters, and let's just say that he is an awesome character to write. I hope you all enjoy his time here. Also whoops! Reala lost his mask. He'll get it back in a few chapters.


	5. The Nightopia Resistance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal enters the resistance base for the first time. What will she learn about, and who will she meet as she explores her new surroundings?

Crystal and Nights have just made their way back to the Dream Gate, when the former took notice of the black ocean down below. She shivered a little upon seeing it. She had no idea what lurked beyond the depths, and while she did not want to find out for herself, her curious mind won out. She looked to Nights with worry.

“Hey Nights, can we pause our flight for a second?” she asked. He nodded and they stopped over the black ocean. Crystal then asked while pointing, Nights mimicking her movement as she did, “About that ocean of black water down below. Have you any idea about what it’s purpose is?” Nights thought it over, and mimed a bit of its origin.

“Oh, so those who fall in will lose their soul and be barred from the Dream Gate,” she translated. “Well that’s one way to have dreamless slumber. Or in my case, a permanent coma.” She flinched upon releasing these words from her mouth, before shaking her head dismissively.

“Well enough of that,” she said. “Back to the Dream Gate we go.” The two fly off towards the Dream Gate in unison. After making their way back to the island, they separate once more. Crystal began dusting herself off from the twinkle dust that Nights leaves behind when he flies. She then notices a door next to the statue of the phantom she was talking to earlier. Curious, she started to approach it before Nights patted her shoulder and flew to the front of the door. He then bows to her before opening the door to the resistance for her as they both enter together.

To Crystal’s surprise, the resistance base looked like a large circus-themed fun-house, with mirrors at the top, a walkway in the sky, a dressing room of some kind, a circus ring in the far back with all the circus equipment, hoops and cannons included, and a ceiling that looked as though is reflected the stars in the night sky. Crystal was entranced by the layout, and went forward to look around the refugee area with excitement on her mind. Scattered about were some Nightmarens, mostly minor ones, and plenty of others the same rank as Nights and Rhodonite. Crystal went to the scaffolding first and foremost to take a look from up above. She found the nearest staircase and ran up it as if she was passing through a crowd, and managed to make her way to the scaffolding that she saw earlier. Nights was following close by to keep an eye on her as the other Nightmarens look at her like she was an interesting sight to behold. One of them was a grey-skinned, first-level Nightmaren with green eyes and purple hair, wearing what appeared to be a purple and green version of a magician’s attire, complete with a top hat and cane. He looked over at Crystal with a smile as she ran past without acknowledging his presence.

As she ran passed the many on-lookers, Crystal stumbled upon what appears to be a Jack-in-the-Box. Nights approaches from behind her and pats her on the shoulder. She looks over at him and he gives a nod to go ahead and open it. As she approached it with a look of curiosity, she opened it and got a rather amusing surprise. A Nightmaren that looked as if it was a cat’s head with only a tail as its’ body jumped out and startled her a tiny bit while giving a silly face in the process.

“Whoa! A cat in the box!” Crystal exclaimed in amusement as Nights gave a silent snicker at the feline Nightmaren’s antics. Another one of Nights’ rank was passing through when she saw the cat jump out and panicked at the sight that unfolded as Crystal said that ridiculous line.

“Agh! Sorry everyone!” she shouted apologetically as she flew and scooped up the feline Nightmaren from the Jack-in-the-Box. She had a pale pink skin-tone as well as magenta hair and eyes. She was dressed in witch’s garb, consisting of a black dress, a magenta vest, a white collar, white leggings, black boots, a heart-shaped gem resting on her chest, and even a small pointed hat. Her feline friend landed itself on her shoulders.

“Sorry about that, visitor,” she said sheepishly. “Nicodemus likes to pull pranks on the folks here in HQ. He likes to get a good laugh every now and again. My name is Morganite. Who are you?”

“My name is Princess Crystal,” the young princess answered. “I’m a recent addition to the resistance even though I’m a human as apposed to a Nightmaren.”

“Whoa! Cool!” Morganite exclaimed in excitement. “Nice to meet you, Crystal. My big brother Rhodonite said you’d be here. Not to brag, but I have met a few visitors before you who had all their Ideya on hand, so I’m pretty sure that you can take on Wizeman’s followers with your…” Crystal had just held out her hand to protest Morganite’s claim as the Ideya of Courage within her glowed on the hand itself.

“I hate to break it to you, sweetheart,” she replied, politely interrupting her subtle flexing, “but I’ve only got one Ideya to my name and that’s the Courage Ideya. Also, I’m an Elemental Magician of Light.” She blushed a little upon saying this and Nights takes notice and snickers a bit. Crystal apparently does not like to show off her power unless she has to use it.

“Whoa!” Morganite said in wander. “They let a Magician of Light join the resistance? What?! You’ve only got one Ideya too?! Whoa, you must be pretty strong if they still let you in here!”

“Dream creatures and visitors alike,” said a male voice overhead, “please make your way to the audience ring. Dream creatures and visitors alike, please make your way to the audience ring.” Nights and Crystal nod to each other, and the former motions with the latter to come with him. Crystal follows him and they make it to where they needed to go. It was the circus ring in the far back, the same one Crystal had seen when she entered. All the Nightmarens, Nightopians, and some visitors are all in one spot, with Crystal looking over the arrangement. As she looked above to the starry ceiling, a black and white portal appeared above the arena. She gasped in wonder as she stared up at whoever was coming. The audience looked on while Crystal was entranced as another Nightmaren, one that looked similar to Nights, slowly exited the portal and made their way down. It looked to be female with pale skin, like a human, and beautiful blue eyes. She was wearing a what appeared to be black and white attire. Her hat was identical to Nights’ hat, but with one side black and the other side white. Her collar was also black and white, but reversed sides. She also wore a black and white skin-tight suit, with one side white, and the other side black. Her boots had the exact color-scheme as well, with the right boot black, and the left boot white. The most interesting features are her cape, a sword on her left hip, hip plates that followed her motif, and a yin-yang gemstone clasp holding her cape in place.

Crystal was mesmerized by her appearance. Besides her Aunt Iris, she had never encountered one outside her bloodline that looked as though they could lead an army. Owl flew to her and took notice, with Nights looking at her with a playful smile. He pinched her a little on the left arm to wake her from her trance.

“Ow!” she yelped slightly while giggling at herself. “Sorry. That was rude of me to stare like that.”

“Quite all right dear, quite all right,” Owl responded while patting her back. “Now, do pay attention, as what she will say is important for our cause.”

“Yes sir,” she replied. She looked back up at the black and white Nightmaren as she finally spoke her lines.

“Welcome to the rebellion,” she spoke with a stoic yet motherly tone. “I am Commander Nightmaria of the Nightopian Resistance. As you are no doubt aware, this resistance was made in response to the tyrannical rule of our creator Wizeman the Wicked, the god and creator of Nightmares and the Nightmare Realm. After bearing witness to the monstrous deeds of the brethren whose loyalty lies with him, I realize that my purpose is to protect both the realm of Nightopia, as well as those who dwell within this ever changing World of Dreams.”

“Just like Nights before her,” Crystal said to herself in a whisper. Nightmaria continued her speech, “For those of you who have joined recently, you will be tasked with completing a series of trails to prove yourselves a brave and powerful warrior, be they a Nightmaren, a normal visitor, a Sorcerer of Darkness, or a Magician of Light. Each trail will be a different task given to by the corresponding trail captain. While some tasks are simple, others are far greater than you know and will challenge your mind, and skill. And after you complete each task, you will face a either a second-level Nightmaren, or a far greater first-level, such as myself, or Wizeman’s second in command.”

Nightmaria unsheathed her sword and what appeared to be a clone of the red and black jester appears behind her. Crystal takes notice and starts to back up. Nights places his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. Nightmaria then ran her fingers down the blade filling it with some sort of energy. Crystal watches on as the clone of the red and black jester springs forward ready to attack. As he’s about to strike, Nightmaria slashes the clone into two, and the clone disappears into a cloud of dark mist, with everyone cheering for her. She puts her sword back in the scabbard and looks to the crowd sternly after the applause is cut short.

“Once you’ve completed these tasks, and defeated these Nightmarens,” she responded, “you will move on to the next trail, and once these trails are complete, you will be ready to face the Creator of Nightmares and fight alongside us to win our freedom. Together, we shall sever the strings binding us to his will!” She raised her fist into the air as the rest joined and cheered for her. Crystal especially clapped her hands in response to her powerful speech. Nights was impressed with her as well as she disappeared into another black and white portal above her. The crowd then disperses and everyone returns to their activities. Crystal was about to resume her exploration when a portal appeared before her and out came a green top hat, it’s bottom half landing in front of her feet, startling the young princess to the point of falling on her butt. It began to vibrate on the ground as a bright purple aura surrounded it and it spring upward dispersing some dust, which then formed the same Nightmaren that was dressed like a stage magician. As the hat dropped his cane, he spun around and caught the hat and cane in spectacular fashion.

“Greetings visitor,” he chimed to her as she stared up at him in confusion. He held his cane to her and added, “Enchantée.” She took the cane and is pulled to her feet.

“A warm welcome from Mr. Lumière,” he added while producing a card. “How are you all doing?”

“Much better, thank you,” Crystal replied. “This is my first time joining the resistance actually.”

“Welcome aboard, sweetheart,” said Lumière. “I can give you a tour if so desire. And get to know the folks around here. What is your name, little lady?”

“Princess Crystal,” she responded.

“Crystal,” he repeated. “Let me talk to you.” He patted her shoulder while he and Nights floated in the direction of the scaffolding while Crystal and Owl walked, and flew, alongside him. He showed her to one of the areas that she ran past when looking around the facility.

“This right here is the battle arena,” he explained, “where we all practice our paraloops, magic, and whatever trick you can come up with. You might need to spruce up those powers of yours in this area, little lady.” He playfully nudged her with his cane causing her to giggle a little bit. They then went to what appeared to be a room with balloons, some cards flying around the area, a fortune telling booth, and a beautiful jungle gym for the young visitors who have the same strong Ideya Crystal has.

“That over here is the entertainment area,” Lumière chimed. “We like to keep ourselves busy if we get bored around here. Nights tends to use this room a lot, keeping us laughing ‘till our heart’s content. Though thanks to an incident with a Second-Level Nightmaren, he won’t talk much. Except mime a phrase or two.” Crystal looked over at Nights with a smile and a wink, while the former shrugged in embarrassment. They moved on to the next area, this one specializing in what appears to be research and development. It was consisting of crystals, a beautiful tent in the back, and a beautiful array of roses in every color over the rainbow.

“This right here is the science area,” Lumière spoke, “where we keep track of Nightmarens that run a muck in Nightopia. Our leading scientist is a little busy at the moment, but once she’s back, she’d be more than happy to explain our culture and about our people. She’ll also be in charge of the trails you’ll take place in. And fun fact, Nights and I happen to be trail captains ourselves.”

“Well, how about that,” Crystal said, a little surprised and looking to Nights with a smile. “You get a pass on not telling me sooner considering you’re mute at the moment, but for Lumière, I was not expecting that.” Lumière laughed at Crystal’s surprised attitude.

“I’m glad you understand our secrecy, little lady,” he said with a bow. He then leads her, Owl, and Nights to the changing room Crystal saw before. She got a little excited mainly because of her mother’s profession. She looked over at the curtain in awe, as it was embroidered with the celestial lights, such as stars, the moon, and the sun.

“And here we have the changing room,” Lumière explained. “For those who don’t want to wear the same outfit through their dream world. I heard about your mother’s fashion company. I suggest using this to your advantage while you’re in your coma, little lady.” Crystal wasn’t surprised that he knew about her current situation.

“Thank you, I accept,” she said to him. She then takes a look inside the changing room, and to her surprise, it’s larger on this inside than the outside. _This is like the TARDIS from Doctor Who,_ she thought. Nights tapped her lightly on the shoulder before she got too entranced. She pulled the curtain back into place and turned back to the three allies.

“Well, how did you like the facility?” Owl inquired, hoping that she was paying attention.

“I think it looks great,” Crystal said with a smile. “All the bells and whistles of the resistance. I would love to explore the place, however, I am itching to take part in a trial. Who should I talk to for the first one?”

“That would be Rhodonite,” Lumière piped up. “Usually, we find something the Nightmaren Army is plotting out, and use that as part of the trial to put a stop to their nefarious schemes. Knowing the enemy helps a lot.” Nights gave her a pat on the back as soon as he said that.

“My trial’s not ready yet!” Rhodonite called out from another area of the refugee area. “Go ahead and check out your dream world to pass the time, little lady!” Crystal nodded.

“Not upset, I hope,” said Lumière.

“Nah,” she replied. “I’ve been meaning to take a look around Quartz Palace anyhow. But first, I need to ask a few questions to the head of research.” Before she can make it passed Lumière, Nightmaria makes an appearance. She looks at Crystal as if scanning her. She gives her a look that conveys a look of a stern yet warm feature.

“You must be the visitor Owl had described,” she said to her with a calm tone. “What is your name, child?”

“Princess Crystal,” the young girl responded.

“I see,” replied Nightmaria. “I have heard of your medical condition, and we will do whatever is necessary to protect you. Given your escape from the enemy at large, I fear that wondering alone will make you a target for the Nightmaren Army.”

“I understand your concern, commander,” said Crystal. “But I’m seventeen, and a Magician of Light. If any villainous Nightmarens start to make a fuss around me, I’ll do what I can to defend myself.” Nightmaria nodded with a smile. Crystal then added, “Besides, I’m not leaving the facility just yet. There’s someone I have to talk to first.”

“You need to speak with Hikaru,” Nightmaria responded. Crystal was surprised. _She must have overheard me somehow,_ she thought.

“Yes ma’am,” she replied. “They weren’t available in the lab when I was taken there as part of the tour. Maybe they’ll be available now. I just need to ask them some questions about-” Crystal was interrupted when Nightmaria placed her hand on her shoulder.

“All will be answered when you speak with her,” she said to her. “I will escort you to her as a precaution. We’ve been having trouble with a possible spy in our ranks, and I intend to weed them out. So for now, no one must be alone until the matter is resolved.” Crystal was a little frightened at the prospect of a spy in the ranks, but Nights, who was right behind her, gave her a reassuring pat on her shoulder. Crystal turned to him and smiled. She the went in the direction of the research area, with Nightmaria and Nights following behind her. Owl was speaking with Lumière while to three took off, as such, he was left behind. Crystal, Nightmaria, and Nights made it back to the research area, where they are greeted by a fellow First-Level Nightmaren. She had very light yellow skin, yellow eyes, and short, brown hair with only the front of it streaked yellow, wearing what appears to be a light yellow, short skirt dress with a bronze yellow belt, with a gold gem in the middle, a gold, circle-shaped gemstone on her chest, a yellow collar, a pair of light yellow bows on the sides, each one long enough to flow in the wind, a pair of bronze yellow leggings, and light yellow boots the front side and the top colored bronze yellow. She also wore a bronze yellow mask with a yellow gemstone in the middle, and a rose on the left side of the mask. Crystal giggled at the sight of a rogue Nightmaren wearing a mask in front of her.

“Hey, you’re not working for Wizeman anymore, missy,” Crystal said giggling while pointing to her own face, indicating her mask. Nightmaria gave a blank stare as Nights gave a playful smile to the fellow Nightmaren.

“Oh my gosh!” the yellow Nightmaren exclaimed, realizing what Crystal was talking about. “I forgot to take off my persona! Sorry, give me a minute.” She then flew back to the tent beside her, and removed the mask from her face, putting it on the vanity in the tent as she did. While she did this, Nightmaria gave a sigh of frustration while Nights gave a silent giggle at his fellow Nightmaren’s mishap. The yellow Nightmaren then flew out of her tent straight back to her station to greet everyone with her hand on the back of her head as if she was embarrassed at the scenario.

“Sorry about that,” she said, slightly embarrassed at what had transpired. “Old habits die hard when you’re in the Nightmaren army.” Nightmaria pinches her none-existent nose in frustration.

“Hikaru, I told you, the persona is no longer required if you defy Wizeman the Wicked,” she sternly told her. “We’re fighting for the freedom to choose our fate, and wearing what you’ve forsaken will nullify said freedom. So please, try to be better about this.”

“Yes commander,” said Hikaru while giving a sigh of annoyance. Nightmaria pats her on the shoulder and then flies away from the trio. Crystal, despite Nightmaria’s lecture, was actually impressed with her regardless.

“Now that’s what I call a big sister looking after her people,” she said with a smile and a whistle.

“She can be stern, but she does care about us,” Hikaru added. “Anyway, welcome back the research area little lady. I’m Hikaru, the head of research in the resistance. And you are?” Nights mimes to Hikaru that Crystal is the newcomer to the resistance and even says her name in Sign Language. Hikaru is genuinely surprised to see what he’s talking about.

“Oh! You’re Crystal!” she exclaimed. “The Crystal! I’ve heard so much about you from Owl!” Crystal gave an embarrassed smile as she said this as Nights gave a silent chuckle. Hikaru added, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, your highness!”

“Enough being a fan-girl, Hikaru!” called another Nightmaren from afar. “Don’t forget that you have a job to do!” The Nightmaren that called out the Hikaru sounded like a teenager with a sassy attitude in conjunction to a playful nature like Nights. Crystal giggled a little while Hikaru rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

“Thanks for the reminder, Seraphinite,” she said to the unknown Nightmaren. She then turned to Crystal and said, “I don’t suppose you need a tour of the place, do you? If so, follow me and let’s get to it.” Hikaru leads Crystal and Nights to another part of the research area. It’s been heavily decorated with stars, crystals, and other beautiful objects like the sun and the moon. Although Crystal is amazed with the area, she quickly turns to what appears to be a series of crystal balls. Some of them were the size of her hand, while others were as large as her head. In one of them, she can see a past image of the red and black jester cavorting about in the sky, searching around for someone. She can hear him speak as she did, and she shuddered upon hearing his voice.

“I will not rest until Nights returns to Master Wizeman,” he told himself. “He shouldn’t be too hard to find.” The image disappears from sight as he flew towards the left in search of his brother. Crystal buried her face in her hand as the image vanished right before her, replaced with a swirl of light.

“Still harping on you to come home, huh?” she said to Nights who had remained silent even after he too had seen the image and reacted with a scowl. “Man that wicked brother of yours is persistent. Just like a tiger stalking his prey.” Nights gave a silent nod to Crystal who in turn looked in his direction and placed her hand on his shoulder to reassure her mischievous ally. Hikaru took notice and gave a confused look.

“Who are you talking about?” she inquired.

“The Nightmare Jester,” Crystal replied. “AKA, Wizeman’s right-hand man-! Err…maren.” She quickly corrected herself after that brief slip of the tongue. “He was on one of the crystal balls as part of a flashback for a brief moment before the image went black.” Hikaru looked to where Crystal was pointing and made note of the largest one she had come across.

“Ah, him,” said Hikaru with a sad expression. “I’ll talk about him when the time is right. He’s a taboo subject at the moment with the resistance. Given his reputation, I don’t blame the commander one bit for her distrusting him.” She looked over at the medium sized crystal ball sitting next to the large one, and gave a sigh of relief. She then realized what Crystal was here for and turned to her.

“I’m sorry,” she said rather embarrassed. “I sometimes look back on the events of the past to the point of daydreaming. It’s another habit I have yet to break. Do you have any questions for me?” Crystal did in fact have some questions that she needed an answer to, but felt that she needed to learn about the Nightmarens and their culture. She allowed her first question to leave her lips.

“About that mask you were wearing earlier,” she began, “besides working for Wizeman full-time, what other purpose does it have?” Hikaru knew exactly what she meant.

“That is what we Nightmarens call a persona,” she responded. “Not only are you apart of the Nightmaren army as long as you wear it, but it’s also a symbol of loyalty to Wizeman the Wicked. Removing your persona all together is an act of defiance. Just like us members of the resistance.” Crystal then asked a second question.

“Those pesky Nightmarens took four out of five of Ideya somehow,” she told her. “Why only leave the red Ideya?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Hikaru said to the young princess. “Those Nightmarens you encountered on the way to the Dream Gate may have been 3rd Level Nightmarens, if they weren’t strong enough to pry the Ideya of Courage from you. You can pretty much count your lucky stars for that one.” Crystal had a third question ready, one that was at the spur of the moment due to Hikaru’s earlier phrase.

“Is there a class system for your kind?” she asked a little confused at the term.

“Ah, you took notice, didn’t you?” Hikaru responded. “Well, our kind is indeed separated in ranks as we call them. The lowest ranked Nightmarens are 3rd Levels and are often based on the normal animals you see in the real world. The middle ranked Nightmarens are 2nd Levels and are often times gigantic monsters that create their own realms known as Nightmares. The highest rank we have are the 1st Level Nightmarens, like me, our commander, and of course, Nights. Not to brag, but while we can create our own Nightmares like the 2nd Levels can, 1st Levels like us for more advanced than the other Nightmarens and can do some amazing tricks like flying, paralooping, dualizing, those sorts of things. Our job is to steal the Ideya of Courage, but the problem is that finding that is like finding a needle in a large haystack.” Crystal then thought of one more question, one that wasn’t related to Nightmarens this time.

“I need to get my Ideya back from those Nightmarens,” she told Hikaru. “I need them to gain access to the other dream worlds at the Dream Gate. Can you give me a reminder about which is which, since Owl’s busy talking up a storm with Lumière?” Nights gave a silent chuckle upon hearing Crystal’s last sentence.

“That’s normally Owl’s specialty, but I’ll answer that anyway,” said Hikaru playfully. She then gets serious as she adds to her statement. “The Ideya are essentially the hearts and consciousness of visitors that come to the Dream Gate. Every time an Ideya gets stolen, Nightopia would further cease to exist. This is part of Wizeman’s goal, to destroy Nightopia so that no one can dream again.” Crystal shuddered upon hearing her response.

“As for what to look for in Ideya,” Hikaru added, “there are currently five different types available. First is the earlier mentioned Ideya of Courage, which you currently have, color-coded red. As I said, it’s rare to come by, and it’s the only one able to help you break out of the Nightmare Cage Nights was trapped in. This makes the visitor much braver than usual. Next is the Ideya of Purity, color-coded white. As the name implies, it’s for those who are pure in heart and spirit. It should be a good indicator on who you are as a person. Then we have the Ideya of Intelligence, color-coded blue. This indicates one whose logical mind is much higher than normal. Following that is the Ideya of Growth, color-coded green. That represents the wisdom and growth of the visitor. And finally, the final one is the Ideya of Hope, color-coded yellow. This represents the determined spirit of one who never gives in.” Hikaru turns to Crystal upon finishing her sentence.

“Usually the visitor has all five available,” she added, “but, those little sneaks are notorious for ambushing visitors like yourself, thus leaving your Ideya wide open for stealing.” Crystal then did the heart motion with her finger, and pressed her palm to her heart. She dislodged something from her chest as she did, as she felt a crystalline object in her hand. She had pulled out her Shining Heart of Ophelia, its golden yellow hue resonating in the area. Hikaru and Nights were genuinely amazed at the discovery of her crystalline heart.

“Does this count as something valuable to them?” Crystal asked rather regrettably as she showed them to her allies. Hikaru was excited to see what she had shown them.

“Oh ho ho! We have ourselves a Twilight Dreamer!” she shouted in excitement and glee. Crystal’s expression was that of confusion, so Hikaru added, “Uh, that’s what we call Magicians of Light with Shining Hearts. To think we recruited a Twilight Dreamer of all visitors! This will give us the advantage we need to beat Wizeman!” Nights makes a motion telling Hikaru to calm down while giving an embarrassed smile.

“Oh, sorry Nights,” she said rather embarrassed at herself. “I guess you’re not the only one who gets excited easily.” She dusted herself off due to the twinkle dust she emitted from excitement. Crystal then puts her Shining Heart away by pressing it back into place.

“I’ll need to look into this further,” Hikaru said to the two, “so please, stop on by so we can run a few tests if you have the time.” Crystal chuckled at her response.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” she said to her comrade, “I’ve got plenty of time thanks to my medical coma.” She then looks over at Nights who looks as though he is sitting in the air staring at the sky above him. Crystal gave a playful smile.

“Nights is getting a bit bored staying in one spot for too long,” she told Hikaru. “So if it’s all right with you, we’re gonna explore Quartz Palace for a bit.” Hikaru nodded in understanding.

“Hey, thanks for stopping by,” she said to the duo. “If you need more information on our race, just give me a holler, all right. I’ll teach you everything you need to know.”

“Before we take off,” said Crystal, “I have this quartz here known as a whisper crystal. This will let us communicate with each from afar, similar to a cellphone without the text messages.” She gives Hikaru said gem, and she accepts it.

“I’ll be sure to use this when you’re needed, all right?” she responded thankful of the gift. “Now run along you two, and have fun.” Crystal and Nights wave to the young scientist Nightmaren and the two leave the research facility together. They then make their way to the door to outside the refugee area, and exit the resistance headquarters.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Morganite, Hikaru, and Lumière all belong to me. Nightmaria on the other hand belongs to the person of the same name from DeviantART. I apologize for the long chapter, but to be fair, the other chapters will be long as well, since it will be like playing a video game. In this one's case, it's explaining the mechanics and story of the NiGHTS series, especially to those who haven't played either game.


	6. Wizeman Strikes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding the mask of a certain jester, they are confronted by the God of Nightmares himself, Wizeman the Wicked. Will Crystal's Shining Heart protect everyone?

Crystal and Nights have just entered back into Quartz Palace, and are exploring the crystalline cliff side together. The former was amazed at how much has changed in her absence as she looked around the area with Nights following close by. As she looks at every nook and cranny, she then spies a familiar Shleep in the distance. Cumula has just found the duo, and is carrying something in her mouth. She lets out a worried bleat as Crystal recognizes it right away.

“Hang on. That’s the Nightmare Jester’s,” she said confused at the object. She takes the object from Cumula’s mouth, and sure enough, it is the exact same mask worn by the red and black jester. Nights is confused as he uses his power to mime to her that his brother always wore the mask indicating his loyalty to Wizeman. Crystal comes up with an answer right away.

“It must have been knocked off when we bounced off that trampoline earlier to escape,” she responded. “I hate to say it, but we need to contact Hikaru about this. Just leave the talking to me all right, not that you have a choice in the matter.” Nights shrugged as she said as if he could care less about his voice being missing. Crystal then pulls out her whisper crystal as she shines it, indicating communication.

“Hikaru, you better get down here,” she said to it. “We have something rather disturbing to show you.”

“All right, stay where you are,” said Hikaru on the other end. “I’ll be right over.” The whisper crystal stopped glowing, indicating that communication was over. Crystal and Nights waited for at least five seconds, before a yellow portal appeared over head, and Hikaru flew right out and towards the duo. Following behind her was Lumière and Owl, who had also heard Crystal’s call to the young scientist. Crystal then held the mask out to them.

“See? Here’s the Nightmare Jester’s mask,” she showed them. Lumière took a closer look at his adversary’s mask.

“Oh, well,” he said to her. “You’re right, that persona belongs to the Nightmaren Commander.” He looked at Cumula rather curiously.

“Where did your Shleep friend find it?” he inquired. Cumula then bleated a little bit, and Crystal translated.

“It was found in a cluster of crystal quartz apparently,” she said to the trio. Owl hooted in concern.

“If his persona is here,” he stated frantically, “then he may be close by.” Crystal went to take a look at herself in the mirror a few feet away while the trio talk among themselves with Cumula right behind her. Nights stays behind to speak to them by miming and sign language. Crystal and Cumula were only six feet away when they spoke to each other.

“Do you think she’ll be safe around you-know-who?” Hikaru asked the trio.

“Well, given her current age at the moment,” Owl said having calmed down from his panic, “I believe she is more than ready to know the truth of the incident that befell her in the past. But we must proceed with caution, as her kind are known to be catatonic when confronted with anything traumatic.” Crystal looked over at the red and black jester’s mask and smiled a bit. _I wonder if I’ll be able to wear this_ , she thought. _Only one way to find out._ She then used a cloth of some sort to wipe away some of the dirt. Cumula looked at her and saw what she was about to do, and couldn’t help but bleat a small giggle. Nights, who had been in the conversation with Hikaru, Owl, and Lumière, looked over at Crystal and gave a surprised look when he sees her in front of the mirror. He then motioned to the others to look over at her, with Lumière looking over at her and snickering a little, and Hikaru and Owl giving a shocked expression. Owl hooted in fear as both Lumière, with a slight chuckle, and Hikaru with a twinge of concern both shout to her in unison, “Don’t touch that!” Naturally, it was too late, as Crystal had already placed the mask on her face as part of a test she made on the spot. She suddenly felt a jolt of dark energy surge out and strike her, causing some pain as she yelped, “Ouch!” This in turn caused her to throw the mask in their direction, with it barely missing Nights, Owl, and Hikaru as it went passed, causing him to pause as it bounced a bit on the ground before landing face up at the sky. Nights had watched it land in front of Lumière and gave an embarrassed look at him with a sweat drop over him, as he then went to check on Crystal. Hikaru was in too much of a hurry to notice as she laughed a little at the princess’s attempt at trying it on. Owl was right beside Crystal as she rubbed at the scratch that the mask had left behind when she was zapped. She was using a healing spell to remove it, along with the scratch on the other side of her face. Lumière used the hook end of his cane to pick up the mask, flicking it into the air for a brief moment before catching it in his purple-gloved hand.

“Tried to warn you,” he said playfully.

“I was afraid of that,” Owl said with concern. Nights was giving out a silent giggle as Crystal finished healing her wounds.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize there was a handy-cap,” she said to the group. Cumula nudged Crystal a bit before giving a small bleat as if forgiving her for her mishap. Hikaru gave a pat on her shoulder.

“Only 1st Level Nightmarens can wear personas,” she explained with a slight giggle. “Not visitors trying to play dress-up.” She bopped Crystal on the nose as she said this while Nights laughed silently. The slightly embarrassed princess rubbed the back of her head while saying, “Well, I guess I need to make my own mask then.” Cumula bleated and she looked over to see her Shleep friend with a child sized version in her mouth.

“Hey, that’s my mask from when I was a kid,” she said smiling. She took it from her and examined it further, while Nights was right behind her. Her mask was rose gold in color, and adorned heavily with aura quartz crystals. She then said to her companion, “Thanks Cumula.” The Shleep bleated in response. She then examined her mask and spoke to herself, “I’ll modify this when we get back.” As she was about to put the mask away, Hikaru spotted it and placed her hand on the mask.

“I’ll take care of that,” she said to her. “Scientific research isn’t my only specialty.” Crystal willingly gave the mask to her. Lumière then added, “Hikaru’s known to modify a persona or two on occasion, back when she was in the Nightmaren Army that is. The pressure got a little overwhelming for the little lass, so she left.” Crystal and Nights gave a sweat drop as soon as he said this.

“It’s not just that, Lumière,” Hikaru said with a hint of concern. “It’s also because my big sister Pandora kept picking on me during training. All because I had a soft spot for the Nightopians and the visitors playing around here. It doesn’t help that she’s due to marry him of all Nightmarens.” Hikaru pointed to the red and black jester’s mask as she said the last part of her rant. Crystal, who was a victim of bullying herself along with her siblings, sympathized with her.

“I got picked on all the time for being a little miss-goody-two-shoes,” she responded with a slight chuckle. “But not from my family. It was the Shadow Sisters and the Malevolent Shadows in my case. But as I got older and stronger, I showed them a thing or two about picking on me.” As she said this, the rest of the group chuckled wholeheartedly at her remark. As they did, an eerie, god-like laughter can be heard over head as the group looked up at the sky in concern. To their horror, a large, silver, black-striped hand with an eye on the palm, was floating in the sky above the group. Crystal immediately recognized it as soon as it lurched forward menacingly.

“It’s Wizeman!” she shouted in fear and panic. The hand approached her while the rogue Nightmarens stood protectively in front of her as its eye starred into her soul.

“I remember you,” the voice boomed to her as she stared in abject horror. Lumière brandished his cane in defense stating, “Stay behind us, little lady!” He then summoned a series of purple and green orbs, and shot them straight at his hand. The orbs were quickly repelled as Wizeman’s hand grew closer to the young princess. Hikaru and Nights both threw halo discs at it, but they were of no use either. As Crystal backed away right into Owl, the hand approached her and looked as though it was about to grab her. Crystal then had an awful audio flash back as she heard a gruff, male, child-like voice hiss at her, “Kneel!” She quickly shook herself free from the fear binding her and shouted, “No!” She though fast and clenched her heart tightly, summoning the Shining Heart in the process. She brandished it as it produced a barrier around her and her allies while shouting, “Not again!” This repelled Wizeman’s hand, much to Hikaru and Nights’ relief, and Owl and Lumière’s surprise. Crystal starred angrily at the large metallic hand with her heart shining brightly, causing the wind to billow around her and her allies.

“I won’t let you pull my friends’ strings again!” she shouted to him. Owl was genuinely surprised at this revelation, and he called to Lumière, “Lumière! She has a Shining Heart!” Lumière recognized it right away and laughed triumphantly as Crystal continued to use the energy of the Shining Heart to surround herself and her allies in a protective barrier. Nights, who was right next to her stood in a defensive position against Wizeman’s hand as she did this.

“As I suspected,” Wizeman’s voice rang out. “Your visitor friend is indeed a Twilight Dreamer. But even a Shining Heart has limits to what it can provide for your resistance.” To prove a point, the hand clenched the barrier above them, and sent a wave of dark energy to Nights in particular. He shouted in silent agony as Crystal and the others looked on in horror.

“Nights!” she shouted while reaching out to him. She was about to approach him before Owl and Lumière get in the way.

“Stay back! You’ll be attacked as well!” Owl warned.

“Wizeman’s way too powerful, kid!” Lumière added sternly. She watched on in horror as Nights is bombarded with dark energy forcing silent cries in anguish. After a mere ten seconds, though it felt as though it had been minutes to her, Nights felt limp while floating above the ground. Hikaru gasped in horror as she witnessed Wizeman’s hand rise above the barrier once more. She came to the unconscious Nightmaren, and checked his neck for a pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief as she hoisted him over her shoulder. Crystal disabled the barrier surrounding her and her allies just in time to see Wizeman’s hand staring at the group while floating away.

“Heed my words,” his voice boomed to them. “As long as you resist my will, your lives will meet the same fate as your fallen allies. Let Nights’ agony serve as a reminder of your punishment and of my power.” The hand disappears from sight in a large cloud of dark energy. Crystal then puts her Shining Heart away and runs straight to Nights and Hikaru. She shook her violet jester friend awake as he opened his violet eyes to meet her gaze. He smiled knowing that she was safe from his creator’s wrath.

“I’m sorry Nights,” she told the weakened Nightmaren. “I didn’t think this would happen.”

“It isn’t your fault, dear,” Owl assured her.

“Wizeman has a habit of attacking at the worst time,” Hikaru stated while carrying Nights. The latter put his hand on Crystal’s face and brushed a bit of her hair away as a way a showing he cared more for her safety than his own. Lumière went to join Hikaru in carrying Nights.

“We’ll get him back to headquarters to heal up,” he told the princess. “Only a crazy Nightmaren would go out on the battlefield in the state they’re in.” As Lumière placed Nights’ other arm over his shoulder, the red and black jester’s mask fell from his waistcoat. Crystal took notice and went to pick it up while calling to him.

“Wait!” she called to them. Lumière looked back at her waving the mask above her.

“No no, you can hang on to that,” he replied. “Someone’s gotta find the owner. Just make sure not to get too close to him. Are we clear?” Crystal nodded. “Good.” Hikaru swirled her arm in a circular motion, forming a vortex in front of the trio.

“Do be careful when going alone, Crystal,” she told the princess. “You never know when danger will strike next. Good luck.” She, Nights, and Lumière all enter the portal together, and it closes right behind them as they entered. Crystal looked over at the red and black jester’s mask and began to ponder about her decision.

“Well, this is gonna be a hard one,” she told the bird. “We don’t even know where the Nightmare Jester is at this time. He could be anywhere in Nightopia.” Owl pondered for a moment before responding.

“I would suggest speaking to whoever brought you here,” he advised. “If they are aware of the situation at hand, it is possible that they would help you find him. But I must warn you that as Lumière has stated, it is best to never go near him when he is seen or if he is fast approaching your location. As a 1st Level Nightmaren, he is a dangerous foe and has more power than the rest of the Nightmarens created by Wizeman the Wicked. If he sees you with only the Ideya of Courage as your guide and takes it from you, this would mean your downfall as well as the destruction of your Nightopia. You must safe-guard it as well as your Shining Heart, for they are a part of you.” Crystal looked at the mask one more time and spoke as she checked her Ideya of Courage.

“I have to find him,” she replied with all the courage she could muster, “because although he scares me slightly due to reminders of my arch-nemesis, as well a slight fear of being outmatched in a battle, I’m more than willing to take the chance. A true princess stands her ground.” Owl looked at her with hopeful eyes as both her Shining Heart and her Ideya of Courage glowed brilliantly with her speech.

“I understand your conviction,” he said to her. “If you’re in need of assistance in anyway, even with the Shining Heart by your side, the resistance and I will do what I can for your safety and for any advice we may provide.” He disappeared from sight as soon as he said this, leaving her and Cumula alone. She then looked to Cumula who bleated in concern. She pat the Shleep in reassurance.

“Don’t worry Cumula,” she told her worried friend. “I’m sure that he won’t notice us hiding anywhere if we keep quiet and keep our distance. Also, it never hurts to hide your fear, as to them, a scared human being is like a mouse to a cat, or worse yet, like a wounded rabbit to a wolf.”

“A wise analogy, Princess,” a female British voice spoke. Crystal turned in the direction of the voice, and the same exact phantom Nightmaren has appeared before her. She breathes a sigh of relief upon seeing her again. Cumula ironically enough can see her as well, making her bleat in confusion.

“Hi again,” Crystal said, her face beaming with relief. “I had a feeling you’d come to my aid somehow.” She then opened her eyes and said, “I never got your name last time.” The phantom Nightmaren smiled.

“I am Prisma,” she replied. “I am the Nightmaren that saved you from a fate worse than nightmares. Do you remember the day you left Nightopia?” Crystal looked at the ground while thinking for a brief three seconds.

“I can’t remember exactly,” she recalled, “but I know that it was like opening Pandora’s Box and that I was sent away for my protection. The rest is completely blank. I do remember the good things though, like playing with Nights, Cumula, Owl, and…” She trailed off as she had a flashback to the day Nights introduced Crystal to a new friend of his. The girl who wore mint green was indeed Crystal from the day she was five years old. The setting was that of the Quartz Palace, and she was in the garden portion of the dream world. Rose-shaped gems decorated the emerald green bushes while beautiful statues made of turquoise decorated the garden. She was imitating an airplane as she ran past the playful Nightopians, who all greeted her as ran to Nights. The playful jester was waiting for her by a fountain made of rose quartz and spraying what appeared to be violet-colored water. He was right beside the phantom Nightmaren, who at this point was no phantom. His attire was different from the attire in the modern era, but only slightly, as he wore about the same thing as he did in present. There some differences as his collar was purple, like his hat, his vest was pink only, and his gloves were missing. He sees Crystal running towards the duo.

“There she is!” he said playfully to the young child. He sounded like a British male child as he spoke, as this is long before his voice was stolen by an unknown Nightmaren. Five year old Crystal stopped right in front of the duo and spoke to him, “Hi Dream Jester!” Nights picked up the adorable girl and the two hugged each other. He then hoisted the young girl on his shoulder, turned to the Nightmaren next to him.

“Crystal, I’d like you meet Prisma,” he told her. “She’s my younger sister.” Prisma looked to the girl and said to her, “A warm welcome to you, Princess Crystal.”

“Hi Prisma!” Crystal responded with excitement. “Nice to meet you!” The flashback ends with Crystal, now seventeen years old, standing still as if in a daze. Suddenly, she felt a jolt of electricity impacting her mind. A crackling noise is heard soon after, as if a glass wall was about to shatter. She turned to Prisma, and added in realization, “You! Nights introduced me to you twelve years ago! What happened to you?”

“All will be revealed in due time,” replied Prisma. Crystal, despite herself, breathed a sigh of relief. She then replied with a simple, “Guess my memories got wiped clean, huh?” Prisma nodded to her as if she knew she was going to ask such a simple question.

“Only the more pleasant memories of Nightopia remain,” she explained. “However, the traumatic events that lead to your temporary disbarment from this world were stripped from your memories for your protection. When I sensed your struggle with the tulpas that plagued the Waking World, and of your survival, I knew that you were ready to face that which you’ve been saved from all those years ago. That is why you are here in Nightopia, to not only bring balance to both worlds, but to restore your memories and face the villain that haunts your nightmares.” Crystal, who had just now heard the entire speech, smiled at the phantom.

“Well, if that was you who wiped them clean,” she said to her, “I think you made the right call. I wouldn’t be where I am today if those memories stayed with me for life. I can only imagine one too many nightmares to follow soon after.” Prisma nodded, confirming Crystal’s assumption. The latter gave a slight bow to the phantom Nightmaren, for she had already known all too well that actions were the best of health and mental state. Her expression dropped when looked to the sky with worry.

“And speaking of nightmares,” she changed the subject while adding, “You wouldn’t happen to know where the Nightmare Jester is do you? His mask got knocked off when Nights and I escaped him and his men. It’s in my bag for safe keeping. This the only time I do something nice for the enemy. But given Nightopia’s reputation of being an ever changing world with only imagination as our guide, he’s bound to all over the place.” The phantom approached her as she looked up at the sky, thinking the red and black jester would make an appearance at any moment. She took the girl’s hand as Crystal looked back at her.

“The Nightmare Jester, as you call him, is my eldest brother,” she spoke to her. “If you wish to find him, I would suggest going to a Nightopia that is not of your own creation.” Crystal is confused by the concept.

“Excuse me?” she asked rather apprehensively. “Going through someone else’s dream world is bad luck.”

“Only to those who do not bear the powers of a Nightmaren, such as yourself,” Prisma explained. “All Nightmarens are able to traverse through every known Nightopia in existence thus far, including your own. The goal of Nightmare is to destroy Nightopia by stealing that Ideya that dwell within like yourself, and it is possible that while he performs his duty as a Nightmaren, he may also be searching for that which you possess.” Crystal looked to her bag, as well as to Cumula, who was right beside her and supporting her master with a simple nudge. She opened it and pulled the mask from its’ hiding place. She felt hesitant to put it on once more, for she had already known the effects should she do so.

“So I’ll be able to make a portal like the Level One Nightmarens can,” she said with a look of curiosity. “Well, if I can, that certainly would make things loads faster.”

“You can,” Prisma responded with a hopeful smile to her as if reading her heart, “but you must discover this power on your own.” She began to circle Crystal as a trail of light formed beneath her. Crystal looked at the trail in amazement as she did this. Cumula bleated excitedly as Prisma added, “I will provide you a paraloop vortex for you. This will take you, to my elder brother’s last known location, known as the Lost Park.” She finished the circle as she went back to her original position. Crystal was impressed with the layout. This would mark the first time she would go through a vortex of a Nightmaren’s design.

“Is there a catch?” she asked out of curiosity.

“The vortex is valid for only one journey,” replied Prisma. “You must exit the Nightopia I send you to alone. All you need do is to find the door to the Dream Gate.” Crystal breathed a sigh of relief. She then placed the mask back in her bag as Cumula got into position.

“I understand,” she said to her. “Well, see you on the other side, Prisma.” She then jumped at least ten inches off the ground before Prisma activates the portal beneath her and she fell into the vortex to her destination, with Cumula following behind her. The vortex disappears as soon as she enters. Prisma smiled in content knowing that she will be safe and sound.

“Farewell for now, Princess,” she said to her. “May you always let the light of Nightopia be your guide.” She disappeared into a series of lights and said lights flew into the direction of the door to the Dream Gate.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I neglected to introduce Prisma to the story in the prologue. I apologize for that. She was a spur of the moment character that I wanted to make for the story. Her fate concerning Crystal will be explained later.


	7. A Glimpse of What's to Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Prisma had sent Crystal to Lost Park to return Reala's persona, Crystal stumbles upon a past image that awakens a dark aura within her for a brief moment. What was it she saw that disturbed her greatly?

Crystal is shown floating down to another dream world, one that is not her own. She was floating passed a series of lights and red rhombuses. Cumula was right next to her, and she clung on to her like a child holds on to a balloon. Soon there was a light at the end of the vertical tunnel.

A vortex had appeared over what appeared to be an amusement park found in a large desert with very few trees growing in said location. There was even an oasis as well as a large tree for good measure. Out from the vortex above was Princess Crystal and her Shleep friend Cumula, the former of which did an aerial, twirling flip as she reached the ground at a fast pace. As she’s about to land, a few Nightopians were seen with a few good 3rd Level Nightmarens, and upon seeing Crystal coming to their location, they scattered in every direction. She immediately landed on the desert ground before looking up and letting out a sigh. She stood straight up and dusted herself while Cumula flew to her side. She observed her new surroundings with caution and admiration. The sandy landscape had some large sculptures made from sand, such as an Apatosaurus, a stegosaurus, some chess pieces, and even the planet Saturn. She began to walk forward when she saw the amusement park in the distance. She saw many rides in operation; a tower which would go up and down at break-neck speed which took the shape of the planet Saturn at the top, a roller-coaster which ran around the park, a Ferris Wheel next the roller-coaster section, and some carnival games down below.

“So this is the Lost Park,” she said to herself. Some balloons flew past her as she said this, and they looked as though they were made of cotton candy. She began to take another look around, and she can see plenty of rides that she can use to scout for her target at a distance.

“Well Cumula?” she asked her Shleep friend. “Any suggestions on what ride we should go on?” Cumula the Shleep then darted in the direction of the park with Crystal following behind her. Several on-lookers were starring in her direction, some of which were androgynous looking 3rd Level Nightmarens dressed in robes and looked as though they were a bit confused. But upon seeing the mask sticking out of her bag’s pocket, they understood her reason to be here. Cumula bleated as she pointed to the tower. Crystal shook her head at her suggestion.

“No Cumula,” she told her while chuckling. “I’m not screaming my head off on that thing. That’s enough for a herd of Nightmarens to come after us.” Cumula then pointed out the roller-coaster, but Crystal shook her head again.

“That’s another one that will get his attention,” she explained. “We’re trying to keep a safe distance from him, remember?” Cumula the smiled sheepishly as soon as she said this and bleated an apology. Crystal walked over to her and patted her yellow, cloud-like wool in forgiveness. She and Cumula resumed their search for a ride they could go on to both search for the red and black jester Nightmaren, and return his mask at a safe distance without causing a frightful scene. Cumula then spotted one of the robed Nightmarens and bleated a little to get her master’s attention. Crystal looked to where Cumula was and is startled to see the exact same Nightmaren approach them. She was about to brandish her Millennium Rod, but her apprehension was quickly dismissed when the creature spoke.

“Welcome visitor,” the robed Nightmaren greeted her. Crystal released her grip and breathed a sigh of relief. Cumula bleated a little upon approaching the figure.

“What kind of Nightmaren are you?” she asked.

“I am a Lumiralan,” said the Nightmaren. “I can read your past, present, and future. But only when you wish to know what lies ahead for you.” Crystal was a bit curious about the future, but she would rather make the future her own than allow another to decide her fate. The Lumiralan spoke again.

“You’re Princess Crystal,” it spoke. “Born to Queen Lorelei and King David on December the sixteenth; the eldest of triplets. A Sagittarius. Raised for four years by a guardian, but wrongfully banished the fourth year.” Crystal felt a bit uncomfortable with the information he had given her. He was reading the beginning of her life story as if it was an open book. Cumula bleated a little and nudged her, showing her support despite the circumstances. Crystal then spoke to the Lumiralan once more.

“We’re trying to find a ride that we scout in,” she explained. “Do you have a recommendation?”

“I would suggest the Ferris Wheel,” he replied. “The villain you seek will appear the moment your cart reaches the sky above. That is all that I can say.” Crystal nodded to him and said, “Thank you so much.” She then turned to Cumula and said to her, “Come on Cumula.” The two headed out to where the Ferris Wheel is located they reach it just in the nick of time. There was a Nightopian at the ticket counter. It babbled a little asking for payment. Crystal dug in her bag to seek out the payment, and she found some blue chips she had found earlier while exploring the Quartz Palace. She pulled them out, and laid them out on the counter.

“One for me and Cumula each,” she explained. The Nightopian was confused at first, but babbled a thank you and let them through. Their cart came to them as they waited. The door opened, and they entered one at a time with Crystal going first, and Cumula trailing behind her. She closed the door as soon as Cumula entered and sat down. In that moment, the ride began to go up. She can see that their cart is going higher into the sky in a circle, and she was ecstatic.

“Wow,” she said to Cumula in amazement. “You can see the whole park from up here.” She turned to her Shleep and added, “That Lumiralan made the right call on the ride. Not only can we relax and enjoy the view, but we’ll be able to spot the Nightmare Jester while we’re safe in the cart. He’s bound to make an appearance at any moment.” Cumula bleated in agreement as the duo looked around. Crystal can tell that they were pretty high up. Just as soon as the cart reached the very top of the ride, the ride stopped in its tracks. Crystal was pleased with this arrangement. _This height is the perfect vantage point,_ she thought to herself. _Time to search for that villainous clown._ She and Cumula began to search in every direction from inside the cart. As soon as the young princess looked below her, she took note of some Nightopians and some good 3rd Level Nightmarens flying away from a certain direction. Many of them were hiding in rides surrounding the park, many others were hiding in the bushes, and some even closed up the ticket booths next to the rides themselves. _Something’s scaring them_ , she thought. _I wonder._ She then looked to the sky on both sides of the cart while ducking, all the while squinting her eyes. Cumula was doing the same on her side as well. Crystal then spotted something rather ominous in the sky. A red and black vortex had just appeared above the park. As she stared at the dark and nightmarish sight, a familiar jester exits the vortex from above. The red and black jester had just appeared. Crystal gasped in brief fright.

“There he is!” she whispered. Cumula saw him as well and ducked. Crystal could tell, even while the two were thirty feet away from each other, that he was searching for something from in the sky. He didn’t have his mask this time, and it’s because of this that she noted his most prominent feature on his face; a pair of black painted scars above his eyes. Crystal shuddered as she saw him, knowing that he can still be a threat despite the lack of mask. He didn’t seem to notice her as he continued to look around the park for his missing mask. Crystal then dug around her bag and retrieved said mask from it. She also pulled out what appeared to be a green, feather-shaped gem broach. As soon as she gave it a squeeze, it formed into a long bow, and a quiver of arrows appeared on her right hip beside her Millennium Rod. Cumula was surprised at this, so Crystal explained to her.

“Zephyrus Peridot,” she told her. “It morphs into a bow and arrow at my command.” She then took and arrow from her quiver, and put the mask at the arrow’s head. She then bound the arrow and mask together through a rose bramble. Cumula looked a bit confused at first, but Crystal explained again.

“I’ve seen this happen with Nights’ mask,” she told her. She then has a flashback to when she removed Nights’ mask before their escape. _Whenever a Nightmaren’s mask AKA persona gets separated from the owner, the mask will act like a magnet and go right back to its owner once they get close enough._ She then tossed it right behind her. However, the mask flew right passed the left side of her and right back to its owner much to her confusion. Nights then took the floating mask and put it in his vest for safe keeping while Crystal shrugged with a smile. The flashback ends soon after. Crystal is readying her bow in hopes of getting the mask back to the red and black jester.

“I sure hope this works,” she tells herself. She then aimed her bow and drew the arrow back. Cumula pressed a button near the door, causing the window to open the same way as a car window. Crystal nodded to her as a way for saying thank you to her. She then went back to her task, and concentrated on her target. The red and black jester had just turned around as she aimed her arrow at him, knowing all too well that he may target her at any moment.

“Steady,” she told herself as she searched for the correct position. The red and black jester looked from side to side with his arms crossed, his right index finger tapping his upper arm in frustration. Crystal finally got the arrow to cooperate as she aimed it at his back.

“Now!” she rang out. She then fired the arrow and it zoomed through the air like a light-weight rocket. She watched while putting the long bow away as it morphed back into its gem form, causing the quiver to disappear. The arrow managed to get at least fifteen feet toward the red and black jester before a surge of dark energy engulfed the mask, and destroyed the arrow before it veered itself forward and flew straight to its owner. As he looked forward, the mask flew right into him as one of the sides pricked him on his lower back causing him to grunt in pain for a brief moment and grasp it while going forward at least six inches. He turned around to see the mask floating behind him waiting for him to take it from the air.

“My persona has returned,” he spoke gleefully as he snatched it from the air while he smiled menacingly. Crystal and a cowering Cumula watched him, the former of which pressed the same button used to open the window, as well as another one which activated the blinds. They would rather remain unseen and as anonymous as possible. The red and black jester chuckled maniacally as the mask glinted in the Nightopian sun. Crystal shuddered open hearing him laugh. He then closed his eyes, and placed the mask on his face with a smile as breathed in and exhaled in satisfaction.

“Much better,” he spoke aloud. He turned around with a smile and added, “Now if I can find that girl.” He began to fly in the direction he was facing. Crystal and Cumula were watching him using a make-shift spy hole the former had created to spy on him. She looked to Cumula who was urging her to start the ride using the button next to her seat.

“Not yet, Cumula,” she whispered to the frightened Shleep while petting it in reassurance while comforting the poor thing. She then added, “We’ll disembark once he’s gone.” Little did they know that the red and black jester had sensed her Ideya and froze for a brief moment in shock before turning his head in their direction. A menacing smile curled on his black-painted lips as he narrowed his eyes almost as if he was sneering. He then turned around completely and flew in their general direction as his smile became a malicious grin.

Crystal sensed that something was wrong right away, as she motioned to Cumula to come to her. The Shleep obeyed and dove right into her arms. Crystal held her tight as she activated her invisibility and a sound proofing barrier for good measure. She had done so in the nick of time as the red and black jester came closer to the Ferris Wheel. She also activated her power to see the aura surrounding her to check on their foe. She can see him getting closer, her heart beating like a drum. Once he was close enough he stopped right in front of the ride. He then began to check each cart on the ride itself one by one. Some of them were empty, some had some Nightopians huddled together in fright, and a few had some Nightmarens covering themselves, trying to avoid his villainous prowl.

 _He’s circling the ride like a shark,_ she thought as she winced at the situation. A bat like Nightmaren approached him and screeched a little to get his attention. He looked in its direction as another one, one based on the jack-o-lantern, appeared before him and giggled a bit like a small child. The two Nightmarens began to lead him to the cart Crystal and Cumula were located in as he followed. Crystal at this point had stopped reading his aura in order to avoid his gaze.

The bat Nightmaren was right by her and Cumula’s cart in mere seconds. It pointed at it tapping its’ claw into the top of it. The red and black jester looked and took notice of the blinds being drawn. He grinned menacingly once more and chuckled. Crystal’s blood ran cold as she heard it. She and Cumula have been discovered. She couldn’t understand why as she was sure that they remained quiet and even made sure that no one heard them. She then calmed herself with a simple technique, by inhaling and exhaling. Her heartbeat slowed to its normal pace. Before she can think straight however, she heard the tell-tale sign of a 1st Level Nightmaren making a circle in the air.

Crystal looked over at the window with a brave frown as she sees his shadow form behind the blinds peering in at the duo. It was as if he knew they were in there even though they were invisible and sound proofed. She couldn’t see the paraloop vortex that he had made however as it seemed to be hidden away. As Crystal held her friend tightly as if protecting her, he placed his hand on the cart and grinned at her menacingly.

Crystal scowled at him as he readied himself to activate his hidden vortex. Suddenly his crest appeared in the cart as he shouted, “Boo!” This startled the girl, causing the red and black vortex to activate beneath her as she and her Shleep fell through it in a panic. The vortex closed soon after, and in seconds, another one appeared above the dream world they were in, and Crystal and Cumula came falling out, the latter of which screamed while falling out. She tried to activate her wings, but since she was indoors in the Waking World, she was unable to activate them. She fell right on the cliff side and bounced off it, causing her tumble down the side.

Cumula thought fast and enlarged her cloud like body, placing herself beneath the falling teenager. Crystal grabbed on and the two fell onto the ground, bouncing a bit before Cumula shrank her cloudy fur back to its original size. Crystal tumbled a bit before grunting in pain. She looked up at the chuckling red and black jester as he and his two cohorts laughed at her misfortune before reactivating his vortex and flying into it, his two partners in crime following soon after. The vortex disappeared soon after, leaving both Crystal and Cumula alone. She struggled to her feet and looked at the sky angrily, her face sustaining a scratch on her cheek.

“You menace!” she shouted at the sky before casting a healing spell on herself to heal the scratch on her face. Cumula floated over to Crystal a bit exhausted from using her power. She patted her companion in response, using her healing power in the process. She felt responsible for what had transpired, and was glad to see Cumula is safe and sound. She suddenly saw a light peering at them at the cliff, and looked over. Cumula saw it as well and was a bit confused. The two saw what appeared to be a crystalline lily with the stamen acting as the hands of a clock. Crystal recognized it right away.

“Hey it’s a Chronos Lily,” she said to Cumula. “If you touch the petals, you get to see an image of the past. I am rather curious about who the owner of this dream world is, so let’s take a look.” She approached the lily and touched its petals. As soon as she did, the lily bloomed further as the energy within dispersed behind the duo, and an image of the past began to emerge. The image was showing Owl with another visitor, one who was only twelve years of age with light-blonde hair, and blue eyes. He was wearing a red soccer shirt, a long-sleeved beige undershirt, a yellow and blue vest, some gray soccer shorts, blue and yellow soccer cleats, and red socks.

“So that’s the owner of this dream world,” she said in curiosity. She gave a small chuckle as she added, “Definitely a soccer player from the looks of his attire. He must have been one lonely kid if his dream world is like this.” Cumula went beside her as they watched the young boy walk alongside a past image of Owl while approaching the duo alongside her. The two were about three feet away from the past images of the two when the boy spoke.

“So, this is the new Nightopia,” the young lad spoke while looking around. As he finished looking around for a brief moment, he turned to Owl sadly and asked, “It…feels a little lonely, don’t you think?” It didn’t take long for the old bird to respond to his question.

“Well,” he told the boy, “Nightopia is created as a reflection of a visitor’s heart, after all. If you feel that this place is lonely, then that must mean that there is something missing from your heart.” Owl patted the lad on the shoulder as he said this, and flapped on ahead. Crystal felt a twinge of sympathy in her Shining Heart upon hearing this statement from Owl’s past self. The boy was confused for a moment as he stopped walking and let out a, “Huh?” He looked to his hand and said, “Missing from my heart?” He then placed his hand over his heart as his eyes closed half-way shut, his expression showing guilt and discomfort. Crystal did the same with her heart but with sympathy for the boy.

“Missing from my heart,” she repeated his phrase. She gave a slight chuckle as she said this while adding, “The kid’s just like me.” She felt a wave of nostalgia as she said this, flashing back to the beginning of her week long dream where she saw the devil and angel plush dolls together. The flashback ends with her smiling with relief. This relief was cut short when she heard a whoosh behind them as if someone had just landed right behind them. She opened her eyes and used the pupils to look behind her. There was the red and black jester once again in her peripheral vision, or rather a past image of him.

“Ah, there you are,” he said to the lad. Crystal looked up at him and gasped in terror. She can tell just by giving him a closer look that he was five feet and seven inches, towering over her and the young lad. She began to back away as the red and black jester spoke again while the lad looked behind him with a “Huh?”

“I’ve been searching all over for you,” he told him. The boy gasped as his eyes widened and his pupils shrank in fear. He backed away in shock as he recognized the red and black jester right away. He was shaking with fright as he said, “Y…you?!”

“The Nightmare Jester!” Crystal exclaimed in a whisper as the boy stood there frozen in fear. The red and black jester, having took no notice of her presence due to being a past image, started approaching the boy while chuckling menacingly with his fist to his chest in malicious excitement.

“Oh, how I’ve waited for this moment!” he told him. He continued to approach him even as the boy started backing away in the same terror Crystal felt. He stretched out his right hand to the boy and added, “The opportunity to get you all alone, dear visitor!” As he was about to grab him, Owl flew right in between the two with a determined and stern look on his face while the jester looked in surprise. This quickly became a scowl, and the boy looked at Owl in relief.

“Stay back Reala!” he shouted. “Do not harm the visitor!”

“Stay out of this, old timer!” the jester retorted while clenching his fist. It became inflamed with dark energy as he engulfed Owl in the same manner, and through that combined with a telekinetic power pushed the old bird right into a nearby pillar, knocking him unconscious. Crystal cringed upon seeing her mentor on the ground as the boy cried out, “Owl!” He was about to go check up on the old bird, but the red and black jester was faster and grabbed the boy by the arm. He pulled him so hard that the lad felt pain shooting in his arm, as the jester dug his long pink nails into the boy’s chest, inflicting more pain upon him. Crystal gasped in horror as her enemy flew into the air with the boy in tow, the latter of which held his eyes shut in fear and pain as he held on to the menacing jester’s arm with his free hand while struggling.

“Now,” the red and black jester spoke menacingly as the boy struggled, “how exactly should I go about getting what I want? Hmm?” As he said the last part, he narrowed his eyes at the frightened boy as he prepared to take his Ideya by force, during which a voice rang out in the distance.

“Get your hands off him, Reala!” shouted a familiar childish voice. The red and black jester’s eyes grew wide with surprise for a brief moment before he turned around, still clutching the boy in a tight grip. It was a past image of Nights, and he looked as if he was ready to fight his evil sibling. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her friend floating in the air.

“Oh, thank Ra,” she said as a malicious smile formed on the red and black jester’s face once more. He chuckled at the sight of his sibling.

“Late for the party, aren’t we Nights?” he retorted while grinning eagerly at the hero. He took a look at the lad with his eyes half-way shut in a menacing manner, who looked over at Nights with a pleading look while shaking with fear.

“The visitor is coming with me,” he told Nights while turning his head back to him. Crystal grimaced at the prospect of a Nightmaren taking a fellow human being to the Nightmare Realm. Nights began to fly towards them as if he was about to rescue the poor boy while stating, “I’m not letting you do that!” The red and black jester extended the pink long nails of his free hand aiming them right in the boy’s face, scaring the lad. Crystal gasped in horror as the move stopped Nights in his tracks in fear.

“Tsk tsk!” the red and black jester taunted his sibling. “The visitor’s life is in my hands. You can just stay right where you are.” Crystal felt guilt as she sees Nights’ face contorted from fear to anger the instant he mentioned the boy’s life to him. He had no choice but to surrender as he looked at the ground in a mixture of anger and guilt. Red and black jester cackled as he retracts the nails slowly.

“That’s a good boy,” he taunted him. He moved his hand away from the lad as he said this, and snapped his fingers. A cage then erected itself from the ground as Nights is then flung upwards as the cage forms around him, much to Crystal’s shock. As soon as the cage is complete, the boy, who now had both of his hands on the villain’s arm, looked on as it rose into the air with Nights trapped inside.

“Nights!” he strained as the red and black jester rose to the cage’s level to taunt his sibling some more still clutching the poor boy close to him.

“Oooh, I’m so scared!” he jeered. “Don’t hurt me, Nights!” Crystal began to stare at him angrily as he spoke, her Ideya of Courage flaring with anger, and her hand charging with electricity. She had long despised those who take hostages for their personal gain, especially when it came to children much like the lad in the image. Nights looked at him in anger as he spoke again.

“Let him…go!” he shouted angrily. The red and black jester gave him a blank look.

“Hmph!” he huffed a bit before adding, “You’re still worried about the visitor in the state you’re in?” He looked to the lad as he said this before looking back at him. He then closed his eyes and looked at his sibling with a scowl.

“Well, okay then,” he spoke while pointing at Nights. “I suppose I only need to bring you back to Master Wizeman.” He looked to the boy with a grin and pushed him down to the ground from a great height, causing him to hit the ground hard face first and tumbling a bit. He tried to get up, but the impact left a sprain in his ankle causing him to yelp in pain.

“You despicable clown!” Crystal angrily shouted at the image of the red and black jester, her electrical current ready to surge through his body in retaliation. She was about to rush at the image angrily but was stopped by Cumula who bleated at her to stop before she hurt herself.

“But not until I get rid of this meddling little visitor,” the red and black jester spoke one last time with his fist clenched, grinning one more time as he added, “once and for all!” He then dove right after the boy.

“No!” Nights shouted angrily while trying to bash the cage open. “Reala, don’t!” His pleas fell on deaf ears. Crystal looked on in terror as the red and black circled the boy, creating a vortex in the process. He then rose above it, and snapped his fingers activating it. The boy felt the ground beneath him give way as the portal opened, and as he tried desperately to escape by scooting toward the edge, the ground continued to dip, and he fell into the darkened abyss below, his screams of fear penetrating Crystal’s ears. As she gasped in terror, her heart began racing in panic and despair.

“Will!” Nights cried out to him as the boy fell. Crystal then turned her head to the red and black jester who watched the boy fall into the vortex he himself created with his arms crossed, his menacing laughter filling the air and piercing Crystal’s ears. She was now terrified and despair ridden as the past image finally finished and vanished in a blur of white light. Crystal collapsed to the ground clutching both her holstered Millennium Rod and her heart in terror, her heart racing with fear.

“That…” she spoke finally her voice shaking from the horror she had just witnessed. “That poor kid…How…how can he be so cruel…I…I really hope he’s all right…” She continued to pant in fear as the whites in her eyes began to darken with despair. There was a dark energy taking over her as she felt herself losing control, her normally brown, blonde-streaked hair darkening. Suddenly a voice rang out.

“Oi!” a teenage voice rang out. Crystal snapped back to her old self as the whites in her eyes and her hair returned to normal. Cumula was nudging her to get her attention, and as soon as she looked to her, she bleated and looked in the direction of the voice. Crystal looked in said direction and was met with a relieving sight. A fourteen year old boy that looked identical to the boy in the image, though slightly older, ran up to her with a concerned look on his face. His uniform was altered, wearing a black undershirt as apposed to beige. His soccer uniform was mostly yellow and white, and the vest worn by him two years ago was gone. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief. _It’s that kid from the flash back,_ she thought. _Thank Ra he’s all right._

“Are you all right, miss?” he asked her. “You looked like you’ve seen a ghost or worse.” Crystal rose to her feet as she relaxed her grip on the Millennium Rod with Cumula jumping into her arms. The boy was a bit surprised at a Nightmaren being her pet, but this was quickly dismissed. He then spoke again.

“How did you end up in my Nightopia?” he asked curiously. Crystal dusted herself and explained, “Well, it’s kind of hard to explain, but simply put, I was sent here on a task.” The boy was a bit confused, but quickly relaxed.

“Gotcha,” he said. He extended his hand. “I’m Will Taylor by the way. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you,” she responded while shaking his hand. Will took a look at Crystal’s eyes and was surprised to see their coloration. He also made note of her long brunette hair with blonde streaks.

“Hang on,” he said with a chuckle. “You’re one of those famous white mages aren’t you? From Papillion Mystere?”

“Technically it’s Magician of Light,” she told him. “But, I’ll let that slide. And yes, that’s my mother’s company.” Will became ecstatic upon hearing this information.

“Whoa!” he shouted. “So you’re one of Queen Lorelei’s daughters then! And the eldest no less! Nice to meet someone of royalty for the first time!” Crystal blushed a little upon hearing him get excited over the prospect of meeting someone of authority. She then thought for a moment before asking, “Say, you wouldn’t happen to know where the door to the Dream Gate is, do you?”

“That I do, your highness,” he replied. “It’s exactly how I got here. You know, you’re not only the first white mage visitor I’ve seen in Nightopia, but the first royal one I’ve seen.” Crystal chuckled before saying, “Yeah, I know. We’re normally not supposed to see other people while we dream. It’s bad luck if that happens.”

“No worries,” Will replied. “I’ll help you get back to your Nightopia just to be safe. Follow me!” He then ran in the direction of the door to the Dream Gate.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she said to herself. She then turned to her Shleep friend, who was still in her arms and said, “Let’s go, Cumula.” Cumula bleated as Crystal took off in a run right after Will Taylor. The trio ran for about twenty minutes dodging all of the bad Nightmarens, as well as passing through some desert terrain. It wasn’t long before they came across the door to the Dream Gate. It was decorated with roller-coaster tracks, a Ferris Wheel, and what appears to be a desert as the Stain Glass.

“Ta-da!” said Will enthusiastically. “Here’s the door!” Crystal was ecstatic as well.

“Oh! Thank goodness!” she said to him while running to the door. Before she can enter the door, she turned back to Will and said, “Thank you so much, Will. My friends are probably worried sick about me at the Dream Gate. And personally, I don’t want to keep them waiting any longer.” Will laughed at upon hearing her speak of friends.

“No need to thank me, your highness,” he said to her. “This isn’t my first time helping someone out. I’ll probably get used to that.” He chuckled a little at the last statement.

“Well, I better take care of business back at the park,” he told her. “These rides aren’t going to ride themselves.” Crystal giggled upon hearing him mention the rides at the park. Cumula beamed in unison to her joy. Will was about to walk away before he turned back to ask, “Oh! Almost forgot! What’s your name, your highness?”

“Princess Crystal,” she replied without hesitation.

“Well now, Crystal,” he said her. “Let’s hope we see each other again.” He then waved to her as he took off back to the amusement park while shouting behind him, “Come visit Bellbridge some time for your next fashion show!” Crystal waved to him while yelling back with a smile, “Farewell! Thanks for the escort!”

“My pleasure!” he replied back. Although he was far away, Crystal’s superior hearing helped her make out his last phrase. She beamed a smile as he went off back to the amusement park. Cumula bleated to her in amusement as she looked to her companion.

“Hey, I’ve got a soft spot for curious people, all right?” she said to Cumula while smiling. She then turned to the door and walked over to it. There, she opened it to enter the Dream Gate in hopes a reuniting with her friends in the resistance.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The past image Crystal saw was a cutscene from Will's Story in Journey of Dreams. Some changes have been made with the characters giving a bit more emotion. Also, we have some new 3rd Level Nightmarens those being Whispgourds (pumpkin-like ghosts), Screechers (bat-like creatures with gems on their chest), and Lumiralans (robed androgynous figures who perceive the future). Hope that adds a bit of variety into the Nightmaren Army.


	8. Clawz Strikes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Crystal returns from her task at the Lost Park, Clawz the Panther strikes at one of the Hollows minding its' own business. If she doesn't subdue the creature, she may be his next meal.

Meanwhile, in the realm of Nightmares lingered a realm consisting of red and black checkerboard pattern across the land. The hills and cliffs are distorted and monstrous. The sky looked dark and foreboding, the colors of the red sky mixed with black clouds. Blue torches lined the pathways of red and black checkerboard, and a strange purple fog coated the ground as if hiding it from the world above.

Within this dark and dreary realm, the red and black jester observed Crystal using a blue flame torch. He was watching a past image of her in the Lost Park not but a moment ago. As he watched in curious satisfaction, he looked to see her brandishing the Zephyrus Peridot bow and arrow, and attaching his mask to the arrow. A smile formed on his painted lips. _Ah, so it was you who returned my persona to me, you clever girl. Perhaps your kind do have such compassionate hearts after all._ He brushed the blue flamed torch dissipating it, and contacted his master. The blue flame formed once more, this time forming a strange, caped humanoid creature, with a metallic crown covering most of his head and face. Floating beside this creature were three pairs of metallic hands, the same hands like the one Crystal had seen before.

“Master Wizeman,” the red and black jester spoke to it. “I believe this girl who whisked Nights away from our grasp is indeed a Magician of Light. With your permission, I would like to observe the visitor further. Her abilities could be of use to us for our army.”

“Permission granted, Reala,” Wizeman replied. “Although you have failed to bring Nights back to Nightmare, I’m convinced that she will be the key to the downfall of the resistance. But heed my warning when you approach her. I have confronted her personally in her Nightopia, and she is a Twilight Dreamer.” This both surprised Reala and intrigued him as a malevolent grin spread across his face.

“Really?!” he replied with a hint of enthusiasm. “She has a Shining Heart? Now this makes her far more valuable than the Ideya within her!” He chuckled in delight as his fist clenched in triumph.

“The girl is due to commence a trial of their design,” Wizeman spoke again as Reala looked to his master while stroking his non-existent chin. “I have sent a 2nd Level Nightmaren to the girl’s Nightopia as a test of her abilities. You may summon it to her if you desire, but do not interfere when they do battle. If she succeeds against it, we will know of her potential. Go at once.”

“Yes, my master,” Reala replied while giving a bow to the image with his eyes closed. The blue flames dissipate soon after, and he looks toward the sky, his signature grin forming on his black-painted lips. He has found his new target.

Waiting at the Dream Gate was Owl who was speaking to Lumière, Hikaru who was jotting down some notes of Nightopia, Rhodonite, who was busy performing a few tricks with his baton, and a new Nightmaren, one who’s just as androgynous as Nights. She had green hair done in hoops, and twin-tails, white skin, and green eyes. She wore a dark-green jumper with black boots, a light green, short-sleeved shirt, a dark green collar, and what appears to be a green oval gem on her chest. As they pondered, the door to Will Taylor’s second Nightopia opened and out came Crystal running towards the group with Cumula in her arms and a smile. The others looked at the duo, Lumière with a smile, Owl hooting and Hikaru sighing in relief, the green Nightmaren looking at her with a playful smirk, and Rhodonite doing an aerial twirl in excitement before flying right to the duo.

“Howzit, you two!” he said while petting her hair causing her to giggle. Cumula bleated in greeting to the members of the resistance as she jumped from Crystal’s arms. Hikaru giggled slightly in relief.

“I was wondering how to get you out of the Lost Park,” she said to her while giggling in relief.

“Dearest me, you gave me quite a fright!” Owl sternly responded worriedly causing Hikaru to look at the old bird with surprise and then embarrassment as he said the first sentence. “You ought to know better than to worry your elders like that! That Nightmaren menace could have taken your Ideya, or worse!” Crystal was rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment as he said the last part.

“Sorry I made you worry, Owl,” she told him. “But I did talk to the phantom as instructed, and she sent me to the other-” She was cut off by the green Nightmaren who retorted playfully, “So you’re a spirit medium now?” Crystal was surprised at her for the notion.

“Yes actually,” she responded truthfully. The green Nightmaren was surprised for a bit before she thought it over, and added, “Eh, fair enough.” Owl looked at her with a smile on his beak, as if forgiving her for the ruined joke.

“In any case, you’re grace,” Lumière responded politely, “Rhodonite is almost done with preparing his trial over in the Quartz Palace. So get yourself ready for your first trial ahead, little lady. You’ll need all the preparations you can get. Also, feel free to scout ahead in the Quartz Palace while you wait.” The group then went into the door one at a time.

Before Crystal went to the supply room, she and the green Nightmaren made their way to Nights’ tent. It was purple in color, decorated with the stars and the moon, as well as the ruby red diamond that he is most well-known for. Crystal entered the tent with the green Nightmaren standing guard outside. She looked over at Nights, who was resting on what appeared to be a crescent moon shaped crystal. Crystal can tell that it was made of yellow topaz right away. She then walked over to him as her three-inch-heeled footsteps awoke him from his rest. He looked over at Crystal as she made it to his side and smiled.

“Hey Nights,” she said with concern. “How are you feeling?” Nights lifted his hand and did a motion with it indicating that he is almost healed completely. Crystal gave a motion for him to wait as she produced her wings. Nights looked up at them with a smile. He was aware that she cannot fly while indoors, but was grateful regardless of that condition. He could tell that her power had grown alongside her and that she had found the type of warrior she had become. After shaking some feathers loose from her wings, she took one from the air at the base of the feather.

“Here,” she told him. “It may not get your voice back, but it may heal you the rest of the way.” She then tucked her wings away as they disappeared from sight. The green Nightmaren saw the display and was impressed by her power.

“Well, I’ll be darned,” she said with a smirk. “The Twilight Dreamer’s a Valkyrie.” Crystal looked over at the green Nightmaren and she and Nights nodded in unison. Crystal then went back to placing the feather over Nights’ red rhombus as she held the feather in place with both hands. Nights placed his right hand over hers in reassurance as he placed his left hand on her face to let her know that he’s going to be all right. Thankfully they didn’t dualize the moment he touched her hand. The healing process begins and feather is set alight, though thankfully, the flames began to heal him rather than harm him. The process lasted for at least seven seconds before he was nearly healed. As she breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he would recover sooner than later, she spoke once again.

“That should do the trick,” she told him while taking her hand off his ruby gem. “I hope you get better soon, Nights. Says the girl who doesn’t even have her Hope Ideya.” Nights gave a silent giggle upon hearing this. He playfully touched her nose. The new Nightmaren also came in and sparked up some news.

“Hey there, Nights,” she greeted him. “I heard Wizeman zapped you really bad back at Quartz Palace. I always knew he was cruel, but this is beyond cruel to me. At least you’ll heal faster thanks to our Valkyrie’s feather.” Nights gave a nod to the Green Nightmaren. He then flicked his hand into the air creating an image asking for any news. The green Nightmaren then replies with a smile, “Yeah, some good news just came in. Apparently, her first trial is almost ready, at least that’s what Lumière told her. I think Rhodonite is still scouting out the enemy at this time though. He’s not very thorough though, so don’t hold your breath about getting his job right the first time.” Nights gives a silent chuckle at her response. She then turned to Crystal and said, “I’m Seraphinite by the way. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said. “I thought I recognized your voice earlier. You were yelling at Hikaru to to do her job.”

“Yep, that was me,” Seraphinite responded with a smirk. “Hikaru gets excited a little too quickly, especially when it comes to the more nerdy stuff that she’s known for.” Nights nods in confirmation. As Crystal was about to ask a question, a girl around two years younger than her came bursting into the tent in a panic startling her, Seraphinite, and Nights. She was dressed in street clothes and looked like a thug on the street, but Crystal can tell by looking into her heart that she was a kind-hearted soul.

“Hey, nine-one-one! Nine-one-one!” she yelled to both Crystal and Seraphinite. “A Level Two’s going nuts at the Crystal Grove!” She ran out of the tent in a panic as Crystal brandished her Millennium Rod and Nights looked up with fear and concern. Seraphinite became angry upon hearing the grim news.

“Dang it!” Seraphinite exclaimed. “Wrong place, wrong time, Wizeman!” Crystal can sense that this 2nd Level Nightmaren may be one of the most dangerous Nightmarens that she may have encountered, maybe more so than the red and black jester.

“I’m going out there,” she claimed sternly. “I can’t stand by and let whatever this thing is run wild. As a Valkyrie, I need to take action, and take care of this madness.” Nights looks up at her with concern in his eyes. Seraphinite looked to her with surprise and shock.

“What?!” she cried out. “No way! You’ve only got one Ideya on you! If it takes it, you’re dreamworld is as good as gone!”

“It’s a Level Two, Seraphinite,” Crystal reminded her. “Only Level Ones like you and Nights can take the Courage Ideya. Any other level of Nightmaren is going to get repelled if they tried.” Nights nodded confirming Crystal’s earlier lesson about his people. Seraphinite pondered for a moment before relenting.

“All right,” she said. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’re getting an escort the next time you go out on your own in your Nightopia.” Crystal nodded, acknowledging Seraphinite’s condition. She then turned to Nights who was still laying on the crescent moon topaz.

“I hate to leave you like this,” she explained with concern in her tone, “but I’ll have to take your place as temporary guardian until you get better. I’ll be back before you can say Adeema.” Crystal then hugged her playful friend as he patted her on the back. As she was about to run out of his tent, he grabbed her wrist in concern as she looked back at him in the same expression. As the two looked at each other in the eyes, a message is transmitted to her.

“Be careful,” Nights’ voice called to her through telepathy. Crystal acknowledged his message with a nod and a smile as he released his grip. She then ran out of the tent in a hurry in hopes of taking care of whatever is plaguing her beloved dream world.

After leaving the resistance base, she ran straight to the Quartz Palace door and entered she then ran in the direction of Crystal Grove. She knew this place like the back of her hand, as her younger self used to play in the grove as if it were a jungle gym. She spent a good twenty minutes running through the crystalline path, and she made her way to her destination. She knew right away where the trouble was taking place as she can see a group of Nightopians flying away from the beast lurking in the grove in panic and fear. Some good 3rd Level Nightmarens were cowering in fear as well as Crystal looked in the direction that they were staring at.

A large, sleek black panther with red stripes, a pair of furry wings on its back, light blue paws, red claws, red eyes with yellow sclera, yellow sharp teeth, a yellow diamond on its forehead, and a yellow spot on the tip of her tail, was chasing what appeared to be the same type of bird Nightmaren that was attacking Owl earlier in the Dream Gate. Crystal can tell however that unlike its brethren, this bird-like creature meant no harm to the Nightopians. As soon as the black panther caught up to its’ prey, it bit down on the bird-like creature and started to thrash it about. Crystal watched as it snarled and roared, ripping the poor soul to shreds. She gasped in concern and terror as the panther then looked in her direction, and dropped its barely living victim onto the ground. It then approached the young princess as if it were stalking her. As soon as it came within three feet to her, it roared to her as if challenging her to a fight.

“Psychotic panther!” she exclaimed in a whisper. She then brandished her Millennium Rod while adding sternly, “Time to put this kitty down.” She held the rod in front of her face as she said this. With that, the battle begins between her and the monstrous panther. The panther was sneaking around the arena and stalking from the shadows before jumping around and finally landing before roaring out to the sky and crouching in a stalking manner, as if ready to claw its prey to death. Crystal started to search the darkness around her for her four-legged foe.

 _Shoot,_ she thought to herself. _That panther is using the shadows to hide in the dark so that it can strike anywhere._ _I need to brighten up the place some how. Or if worse comes to worse, use my Aura Sensory to find him._ She then began to run around the arena, but not out of fear of the enemy in the shadows. She was running to find a safe place to activate either power. She can hear the panther growling in the darkness of the arena as she did this, and as she began to run in the direction of the sound, the panther roared as it lunged toward her, and struck her in the back, causing some damage. She healed herself from the attack soon after, and also put up a barrier just to be safe.

 _Wow, that was a nasty blow,_ she thought to herself. _Hope I know what I’m doing._ She finally found a safe area to cast her spell and began to charge a ball of light with the Millennium Rod in front of her. After only three seconds of charging, she then released the spell and nearly half of the arena is now drenched in light. Now she can see where her monstrous foe had appeared and will know where it will strike next.

The panther took no notice to the bright light in the arena and continued stalking her. As soon as it was about to pounce, Crystal struck him down with a Lightning Rod, one of her signature moves. The beast was dizzy from the attack as she ran up to him and activated her Rose Sabre, another move that she was known for, taught by her sister Jessica. She began to attack the black, nightmarish panther like it was a monster that needed to be put down. As she struck the beast in a flurry of slashes, some rose petals fell from her blade. She continued to attack him until he got up and returned to the darkness to continue his attack, thus allowing her to cancel her attack.

Crystal then activated her Aura Sensory just in case of another sneak attack. Strangely, her Aura Sensory only showed the foes eyes and stripes. The rest of the body was in complete darkness. She then readied a halo disc just to be safe. To her surprise, the panther charged up a large amount of energy in quick succession with his stripes glowing in the darkness. He then began to run around the arena while glowing wildly with orbs right behind him, as if he were taunting her. She ran after it, hoping to catch it as soon as possible. It was all for naught however as the fowl beast struck her right as she was about to strike, canceling her earlier summoned halo disc. Thankfully her barrier minimized the damage she sustained.

 _That nightmarish panther is way too fast! Well, two can play at that game,_ she thought. She then ran around the arena once more, waiting for the panther to strike again. As soon as it lunged at her, she imbued herself in electricity, and dashed up to it. In mere seconds, she slammed her assumed to be frail body into the panther causing it to go backwards and slam against a nearby tree.

Crystal then activated Arctic Sabre, the ice equivalent to the earlier used Rose Sabre. She attacked him furiously once more like her life depended on it. As she finished with a flurry of diamond dust dancing about her with each slash, she struck one more time, this time blowing the panther away as if she were breaking glass with a blast. It quickly caught its footing and ran back into the darkness to strike once more.

 _That is one determined Nightmaren panther,_ she thought. _How many more hits can this thing take?!_ She began to charge another light inducing spell to see better, but she was attacked from behind before she can finish it. She was left no choice but to use her Aura Sensory once again. She can see the panther stalking her through the darkness due to the villainous stripes glowing from her point of view. She then performed Ember Swarm, which homed in on the panther and began to strike at the creature. It remained undeterred despite this, so Crystal tried another attack, the Earthquake. She was hoping that the tremors would make the creature lose its footing. Sadly, her efforts were all for naught. It had sensed the Earthquake and leaped into the air to avoid the shaking ground.

 _Dang it! I forgot it had wings on its back! Well, let’s try another one._ Before she could think of another attack to use, the panther struck again, this time with the barrier disabled. Crystal then healed herself and replaced the previous barrier so that she may try again. She then tried a different spell, the Frozen Road. She rose into the air while encasing herself in ice, before slamming her entire body into the ground and encasing the ground in ice. Her body returns to normal soon after, and the panther slipped on the ice, causing him to use his claws to try and keep a steady grip.

Crystal followed the scratches on the ground as she activated her Diamond Sabre. As soon as the panther collided with a tree, it became dazed. Crystal took this as an opportunity to strike, and she did. She did the same trick as the other Sabre Attacks, and she was determined to win out over the Nightmare plaguing her dream world. In a flurry of slashes though, the panther persisted its attack on her and retreated to the darkness one last time.

 _Diamond’s wrath, that thing’s still not down yet,_ she thought. _I’ve got to end this quick, or else another poor soul might end up in its gut._ Crystal began to search for another place to activate her lighting spell. As she did this, the panther was lurking in the shadows once more watching its prey. She charged it for three seconds before finally letting the spell loose once more, illuminating nearly half the battlefield soon after. As the panther pounced towards the girl, Crystal activates her other signature move, Phoenix Flare, which is a spread of fire that looks as though she summoned a phoenix to her aid. The phoenix shaped fire blasted the panther ten feet away from her and it felt dizzy from the attack.

Crystal then ran up to the beast while activating her Halo Sabre to deal the finishing blow. She attacked it with enough furry that it growled in pain. She then finished it off with a flurry of a slashes, with the final blow being a thrust into the panther’s forehead. At long last, Crystal is victorious.

The panther was knocked right into a nearby tree as soon as the battle was over, and it looked as though it was in pain. It growled in anger and pain when it was trying to get up. Crystal placed her Millennium Rod back into her holster and nodded her head.

“It serves you right!” she yelled angrily at the creature. The panther got up and glared at the girl as she glared right back at the wild nightmarish animal. She then looked over at the bird-like Nightmaren and ran right up to it to check on its condition. It looked as though it was barely alive, and it strained to look up at her as she put her hand on it carefully.

“Are you okay?” she asked, concerned for its current state. The bird-like Nightmaren strained to nod its head. She can sense that it didn’t have long to live, so she activated her wings to fetch a feather for the bird-like creature. As she shook a few feathers loose and grabbed one, the panther took it as an opportunity to strike when she wasn’t looking. As it pounced toward her, she sensed him about to strike her and the bird, and quickly brandished her Millennium Rod once more. She activated a golden shield surrounding her and the bird-like Nightmaren, and bouncing the panther backwards.

“Nice try, Bagheera,” she sternly told it as it glared at her angrily. “Go home now, and go find some else to stalk in the forest.” After a stare-down that lasted for a mere two seconds, the panther ran off into the woods, using the diamond on its forehead to create a portal to a different area. Crystal re-holstered her Millennium Rod and went back to care for the bird-like creature, making her wings disappear in the process.

“Now hold still, little one,” she talked to it while holding the feather at its base. “This will help you heal much faster. What normally takes a week or even a month will take five to ten minutes once this feather is used up. Do you trust me?” The bird nodded to her while cawing weakly.

“Good,” she said with a concerned smile. “We’re both on the same page.” She then took the feather over the large bite mark the panther had left, and pressed it against the wound. The healing process had begun and just like with Nights, the feather itself was set alight allowing the flames to heal the wounds on the bird. The process lasted for seven seconds. She then picked up the bird creature, cradling it in her arms.

“Okay,” Crystal spoke to it. “I’m going to take you to the resistance headquarters, okay? You’ll have plenty of time to rest there.” The bird nodded and she stood up and left the forest in the direction of the Dream Gate with her new friend in tow.

Meanwhile in the dreary realm of red and black, Reala had seen the whole battle between the two and frowned slightly. As soon as he brushed the flames away from the torch thus dispersing it, a portal appeared behind him and the panther came through jumping to the ground. As soon as it looked up at the masked jester, it bowed its head in shame. He approached the creature with slight sympathy.

“Clawz, my pet, you were denied your prey,” he spoke to it as though it were a child. He spied a piranha-like Nightmaren in a nearby black river and using his telekinetic power, he wriggled it out of the water, and flicked a fireball into it burning the poor creature alive. The panther, now known as Clawz, leaped at it swiping it from the air with its jaw. Reala smiled and chuckled as it tore into it.

“Good boy,” he said to him while petting him. “You’ll get your chance with her next time. Just be patient.” Clawz nudged his hand in affection as if he understood him completely. He looked to the image of Crystal in the flame once more with a grin, anticipating her next movement as she took the feeble bird-like Nightmaren in arms into the resistance. He knew that she was going to be worth his time and effort and he’ll finally regain what he had lost.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you recall in an earlier of one of the Nightmarens speaking off-screen, she makes an appearance here. Her name is Seraphinite, and she is a new character to the story. She belongs to me. This chapter is long because it is written like a boss fight, and also, Clawz's battle with Crystal doesn't include the mice rockets from the first game this time. It's all brute strength here. I apologize if you expected this to be like the first game.


	9. A Strange Timeline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometime after rescuing the Hollow from Clawz' wrath, Crystal enters a portal to what appears to be a utopia-like society filled with smiles, politeness, and fashionable clothing. She decides to blend in to see what she can learn about this world. Will she be able to keep a polite nature, or will she crack under the pressure?

Meanwhile, Crystal had just rescued a 3rd Level Nightmaren from the jaws of Clawz the panther. She had just made it into the resistance base and was panting from running so hard. The folks around her looked at the poor girl in concern when they saw her new friend in her arms. Cumula especially was worried, and she flew right up to the bird-like Nightmaren bleating in concern.

“What is the meaning of this?” Nightmaria questioned sternly.

“My word!” Owl hooted in surprise. “She’s rescued a Hollow!” Crystal was confused at first before looking at the bird-like Nightmaren and replying, “Oh the birdie?” Cumula was nudging the poor bird as if trying to get its attention. The Hollow looked up at her and cawed weakly at her as a way of greeting her.

“Care to explain?” Lumière inquired.

“She almost became that panther’s lunch,” Crystal replied with a gulp. Seraphinite heard her reply and told her with concern, “Sounds like Clawz got the munchies again. Just be thankful you weren’t the lunch.” Crystal shuddered upon hearing this. She had seen documentaries of animals in the wild, but never witnessed it first hand until now. The Hollow looked up at Crystal and stroke its wings on her shoulder to give her reassurance. Rhodonite took notice and scooped up the bird. Nightmaria looked at the poor creature and realized that she may have been right to rescue the young fledgling bird.

“I’ll get little miss Hollow over here to our doctor,” he proposed. “He’s got a better idea on the Nightmaren anatomy more than the visitors and other dream creatures do.”

“Thank you, I was just getting to that,” Crystal replied. “If the doctor is in, and I know he is thanks to you telling me, I’m sure…” She looked looked over at the Hollow in Rhodonite’s arms.

“Do you mind if I call you Pidge?” she asked her with a smile. The Hollow nodded with a smile cawing slightly. “Pidge it is.” She turned back to the others and said, “I’m sure Pidge is gonna be in good hands. But where is he?” A 2nd Level Nightmaren comes up to her and taps her on the shoulder. He looked rather rotund with two pairs of rather skinny arms, and was wearing what appeared to be a lab coat. He also wore spectacles that seemed to shaped like trapeziums. In ordinance to his profession, he wore an odd looking mask, and a pair of rubber gloves.

“I am the doctor,” he spoke, his voice sounding as if he was from South America. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief.

“I am the medical officer of the resistance,” he explained. “My name is Dr. Fergali.”

“Gee, I wonder why you were made by you know who,” Crystal said jokingly with a playful smile. Nightmaria scoffed a little at her playful tone pinching her non-existent nose in frustration. The doctor understood the joke with a nod and the following reply, “I was based on those who are afraid of going to the doctor. An understandable fear, would you agree?” Crystal snickered upon hearing that. _Typical kids scared to get medical help,_ she thought. _Not to mention those quacks in the real world._ She added with her hand over her heart, “All right doctor. You have the floor with Pidge’s well-being. As a heads up, she’s been given a phoenix feather so that she may heal faster. The rest of the healing is all yours. I’ve gotta get ready for my trial anyhow.” Dr. Fergali nodded in understanding. Rhodonite then gives the Hollow, now known as Pidge, to the doctor for him to nurse back to health. Dr. Fergali then took the young bird to the medical ward. Nightmaria looked over at Crystal with a look of curiosity.

“Are you a Valkyrie, my child?” she asked. Crystal nodded to her, knowing it is pointless to hide the truth. “May I?” Crystal nodded again as she held out her hand. Nightmaria took it gently as she examined her power within. Her face became stern for a moment when she noticed something peculiar within her.

“How strange,” she stated to the others.

“What is it?” Owl inquired rather curiously.

“Although she bears the powers of a Valkyrie and is also a Twilight Dreamer,” she replied with Crystal looking as though she was embarrassed by the comment, “this girl seems to bear the powers of our people as well. How odd considering she isn’t even a 1st Level Nightmaren such as the lot of us.” Crystal was confused for a moment before realizing what she meant.

“I think the ghost of Prisma told me that back in Quartz Palace,” she said with a concerned tone as Nightmaria realized what she had said, and gave a smile of relief when she said those words. “The question is, how did I get these powers in the first place?”

“Perhaps it is related to the incident that befell you as a child,” Owl told her.

“Maybe,” she replied turning her head to her mentor. “The problem is, most of the incident has been wiped from my memories. I need to get them back to find out exactly what happened to me as a five year old kid. All I know is that it was something that opened Pandora’s Box.”

“If it is something as catastrophic as you described,” Nightmaria replied, “then you may be a possible target in the future.” She examined Crystal’s power once more before looking to the others.

“We will train this visitor to use the powers of our people for the greater good,” Nightmaria announced. “Do what you can to teach her everything she needs to know for the coming trial. You are all dismissed.” The others murmured in agreement before resuming their activities.

“Does that mean I start my training with my new-found power?” she asked with a smile. Nightmaria shook her head no.

“Not yet, your grace,” she told her. “We will begin once you complete your first trial. It is best if you made preparations in the meantime.” Crystal pouted slightly and snapped her fingers in frustration while saying, “Rats.” At that exact moment, a loud bang pierced the ears of those present, and the floor erected what appeared to be large pillars over five feet in height, causing the girl to jump forward at least ten feet in front of her and yelp, landing on the ground on her knees. Owl hooted in surprise and fright as she did. Crystal looked back at what had transpired, and was surprised and frightened at what she had formed. Many of the Nightmarens and other creatures looked on and laughed as she gawked at her handy-work in surprise and shock. Nightmaria, despite herself, chuckled slightly at her mishap. Crystal got up from her position and looked up in a panic.

“I did that!” she yelled, taking the blame as she ran up to it with Owl flying right behind her. “I did that! That was my fault!”

“It’s all right, dear,” Owl replied, “there was no harm done.” Nightmaria placed her hand on her shoulder.

“I should have warned you,” she told her. “Most of our power, much like the powers of your race, is controlled by emotion and movement. So if your anger controls you while you use this new-found power, it too will react in a negative manner. So please, try to be more careful.”

“Yes ma’am,” Crystal replied with a nod. She looked over at her distorted handy-work and sighed in remorse. “Can I least change this back to normal?”

“You may,” Nightmaria answered with a nod. “All you must do is to focus your energy and quiet your mind. Try it now. This power may be of use to you for your coming trials.” Nightmaria floated backwards to give her some room to focus her energy. Crystal then took a deep breath and exhaled. She then raised her right hand to her monstrous creation. The pillars were once part of the floor, as shown by the checkerboard design. Her hand began to glow bright yellow despite the lacking the Hope Ideya. As she focused, she can see the pillars slowly retract down to the ground. Seraphinite smirked a little while Lumiere looked up with a proud smile. She continued until the pillars themselves finally retracted down to the ground.

“Well done, deary!” Owl hooted in excitement as Crystal breathed a sigh of relief. “Now it’s possible to use this power against the Nightmaren Army.”

“Only when the time is right, Owl,” Nightmaria said to him calmly. “She will still need training to gain proper control. As for you princess, try to have a little patience with this power. A single margin of error can pose as your downfall if taken lightly.” She then left to her quarters as Owl too disappeared after the conversation. Cumula nudged her as a way of telling her that she supports her. Crystal pat the Shleep’s cloud-like fur.

“Thanks Cumula,” she told her. “I’m sure she means well for my safety, considering my powers and all. Let’s check out the rest of the facility. I’m sure there are some things that were missed during the tour Lumière gave us earlier.” Crystal began to walk around the facility once more. She spied some Nightmarens playing with some Nightopians, some 3rd Level Nightmarens performing tricks for their owners, and in the arena, she saw some 1st Level Nightmarens performing acrobatic feats in the air, as well as some aerial movement in the sky.

During her exploration, she noticed an odd looking portal in one of the rooms she was exploring at the time. _What is this? Who left a paraloop vortex here? And what is on the other side?_ She approached the vortex with caution as Cumula bleated in a worried tone.

“Cumula,” she told her. “Feel free to stand guard while I take a peak. I’m actually quite curious about where it leads to.” Cumula bleated in response, understanding her command. Crystal, although worried about the contents beyond the vortex, proceeded to enter the new world.

On the other side was an oddly pleasant sight. It was a hallway that looked as though it was a vintage-styled architecture. The floor was black in white checkerboard, the halls looked to be covered with wallpaper from the 1950s, and the lockers were lined neatly in a row. Crystal looked around the area and noticed that many of the folks gathered in the hallway looked as if they were dressed as fashionably dapper as possible, from argyle patterns, sweater-vests, and dress-pants and shoes on the boys and men, too the pleated dresses, pearl necklaces, earrings, and even high-heeled pumps on the girls and women. Crystal was quite perplexed at the sudden change in scenery, but was also quite fascinated with the apparent timeline she had found herself wondering into.

Meanwhile, in Reala’s realm, the malevolent jester was watching her with the torch in front of himself. He took notice of her surroundings in amusement. He knew exactly where she had wondered off into. It was as if he had waited for a golden opportunity for a long time.

“Oh, you foolish girl!” he laughed at her naivete. “I didn’t think it would be that easy to wander in here for your kind!” He placed his hand over his face in amusement over his target’s unintentional mishap while chuckling. “Wizeman is going to love this.” He then dissipates the flame and makes a circle in the air to create his paraloop. After the vortex is formed, he enters the foreboding portal while chuckling to himself.

Meanwhile, the young princess was taking a good look at her new surroundings in a mixture of fascination and curiosity. Everyone she had seen in this normal-looking world is seemingly happy, and they seem to give an aura of kindness as well as a polite nature. Many greeted one another, many played the music of the 1950s, and many laughed in merriment. Crystal didn’t take long to realize where she was.

“Looks like some sort of Stepford school,” she told herself. She looked around for a calender in order to determine what year this strangely pleasant dream world took place in.

“What year is this?” she spoke aloud and looked to the right as she did. She then saw the calender that she was looking for and noted to the year at the top.

“1954,” she noted. “Okay, so I’m on the right track.” She looked down at her current attire with an embarrassed smile. It didn’t take long for her to realize that she was dressed differently from all the rest of the people residing in this realm.

“I going to need to change my outfit,” she told herself. “Folks are going to think I’m a greaser or a rockabilly chick if I don’t.” She then opened her satchel to find something of hers that she could use in this realm without arousing suspicion from the people around her. She murmured as she dug around with her head sticking in the bag. After five seconds of rummaging around, she spotted what she was looking for.

“Ah, ha ha, ha ha! Here it is,” she spoke to herself. She pulled out what appeared to be a fashion book of sorts and began to skim through it. “My fashion design book. I always keep it handy in case of fashion emergencies. Now, where’s the 50s uniform for Red Stone Academy?” She then flipped the pages to the very section she was looking for and found it immediately.

“Ah, here it is,” she said. The outfit was a salmon red Peter Pan collar top with a dark red collar, a red poodle skirt, sans the poodle, a dark red belt, a pair of salmon red tights, a red ascot, a red beaded bracelet, red stud earrings, and a pair of red strapped three-inch heels. Beside the outfit was a cross-body purse. “This ought to fool anybody in this era.” She then put her hand over the image and snapped her fingers, causing a white light to surround her. After a mere five seconds, she was now wearing the exact design from the same book. Her satchel had become the purse in the image. As for her Millennium Rod, it was tucked away in her purse for safe-keeping. She looked herself over one more time.

“Blouse, check,” she began to list the items she was currently wearing. “Poodle skirt, check.” She raised her skirt as she said this. “Heels.” She clicked her heel thrice on the ground. “Check.” She adjusted her ascot as she said, “Ascot, check.” After jiggling her bracelet and tapping her earrings, she remarked, “Earrings and bracelet, check. Just two more things that need to change.” She then took out a compact mirror and opened it to look at herself in the mirror. She placed her hand over her hair and ran her fingers through it, making her blonde streaks vanish, and tying it into a 50s styled low ponytail, complete with a thin red ribbon. She then closed her eyes and placed her two fingers over her eyelids. She then opened them to reveal that have been changed from her golden yellow eyes, to a more natural brown color.

“Perfect,” she said with a satisfied smile. She then closed the compact mirror, and put it back in her purse while noting, “No such thing as streaks or wacky eye colors back then.” She took a look around to see if anyone noticed the change in attire, but thankfully no one took any notice. She moved away from where she stood and began to look around the school more thoroughly.

As she did this, a red and black vortex appeared on the balcony area, though she didn’t take any notice. Reala burst through and looked down below. He noticed the girl right away despite the change in appearance, and he grinned malevolently. As she went to the left of the hallway, he chuckled and was suddenly surrounded by a shroud of darkness. He began to change his appearance as well, and his jester-like appearance had been changed to a regular human form. The darkness dispersed and Reala emerged into the form of a human. He was still muscular in appearance, and he maintained his hard blue eyes as well as he incredibly pale complexion, but his mask was absent in this form, and his hair was black as ebony. Oddly enough, he also maintained his black lipstick despite the lack of such a fashion in that era. He was wearing red and black attire still, but in the form of a white button-down shirt, a red and black striped sweater-vest, a pair of dark red, high-waist trousers, and a pair of black loafers. He began to walk down the stairs to follow his target at a distance.

Meanwhile, Hikaru is flying toward Nights’ tent and was going through the hallway Crystal was walking through. She made it there and saw Seraphinite talking to Nights. The latter looked up at her and waved to her. Seraphinite looked over at her with a smile.

“Worried about your boyfriend?” she asked playfully.

“That and I wanted to ask where Crystal disappeared to,” Hikaru responded. “She was in the base, but I don’t sense her Ideya anywhere in here.” Nights gave a worried look the moment he heard this while rising upright on his crescent moon crystal. As he moved to look like he was sitting on it, he looked over at the diamond shaped mirror in the room. His eyes glowed a bright blue as the mirror lit up in a bright light. The mirror then showed an image of Crystal walking through the 50s era school. The moment he and the others saw this, he breathed a silent sigh of relief while Seraphinite snickered at her change in clothes and appearance. Hikaru was perplexed at the sight.

“How did she end up in there?” she inquired.

“I don’t know,” Seraphinite replied while giggling. “But what’s funny is that she’s dressed like an old lady. That style of clothing is over sixty years out of date.” Nights gave a look of wonder at her attire as well and gave a nose-sigh in amusement.

“Whoops!” exclaimed another Nightmaren a little amused. This one sounded male and had a Scottish accent. He flew into the tent straight away. This one had white skin, red eyes, and dark red hair, and was dressed like a nobleman, wearing what appeared to be a red sleeveless tail coat, and a salmon red shirt that looked identical to Nights’ shirt, only the cuffs wear red and they had yellow square-shaped cuff-links. He also wore a pair of red skin-tight trousers and a pair of dark red boots.

“What is it, Leo?” Hikaru asked him. Leo showed them a hand mirror which showed an image of the vortex Crystal had encountered earlier.

“Someone left a paraloop vortex open,” he told them. Nights, Hikaru, and Seraphinite all looked in confusion for a moment before the first two looked over at the latter with a playful smile and an embarrassed look respectively.

“Seraph,” Hikaru said an embarrassed smile and giggle.

“Yep, that was mine,” Seraphinite spoke with shame and a smile. “Ha ha, whoopsie.” Nights gave some silent laughter upon hearing her admit her mistake.

“I’ll go wait for her to come back,” she said to the group before leaving the tent to head towards her portal.

“Leave it open so that she can get back!” Hikaru called out to her. She sighed a little upon seeing that. While Nights’ snickered at his comrade’s mistake.

“At least she’s rectifying her mistake,” she said to the others. “As for Crystal, I’m pretty sure she’ll make it out of there. She just needs to know a few key factors for this to work.” Nights nodded in agreement and looked over at the mirror with a smile. He had faith that she would be safe from harm.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next Character that would not appear as often is Dr. Fergali, a Nightmaren (Level 2) based on the fear of going to the doctor. He won't be appearing very often, but he is essential for the main story. You'll see what I mean later.


	10. Stepford Rumble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal's venture into the Stepford society continues as she explores the realm with a determined yet cautious outlook on the place. Little did she know that this world is not what it seems.

Crystal was looking around the school in a state of curiosity, but she also began to feel uncomfortable when she noticed some folks feeling a bit too polite for their own good. She noticed that the smiles never seem to waver for most if not all of the students at the school. Crystal was feeling uneasy.

 _Is it just me,_ she thought. _Or am I getting chills coming through here? This place looks pleasant enough, but I don’t know. Something’s not right here._ She looked inside some of the classrooms that she went passed as she explored the place. Some of them are the more normal ones such as math, chemistry, and even a music class, where she can hear students sing and dance to the songs of the 50s. She was amused by the latter class, as it reminded her of a certain movie she watched with her parents. She looked through other classrooms and noticed some more interesting ones as well as some odd ones, like dressing properly, and how to have better manners and be friendly.

 _Kind of odd to have classes like those around this era,_ she thought to herself. _Last I checked, some lessons are taught back at home. Maybe the principal knows something about this school that I don’t._ She wanted to get some answers, so she began to look around for anyone to talk to. She spotted a girl with cranberry red curly hair, brown eyes, and pale skin, wearing a yellow blouse, an orange pleated skirt, a pair of yellow bobby socks, and a pair of brown saddle shoes. Crystal approached her as she looked out the window next to her, and the girl was smiling as she looked outside. She noticed her come up to her and smiled in her direction.

“Excuse me, miss,” Crystal spoke up. “I just came from a different school, and I’m on an assignment for said school to observe the goings on around here. The problem is, I know absolutely nothing about this place. Can you help me?”

“Oh gosh golly!” the girl said excitedly. “I’d be more than happy to help you, honey. What school are you from?”

“Red Stone Academy,” Crystal answered the question truthfully. The girl was amazed by her response.

“Oh! That’s that magic school for white mages, right?!” she said politely. “In that case, I’d be more than happy to help a swell white mage like you! Where would you like to go, sweetie?” Crystal was overwhelmed by her polite and cheery attitude, but quickly composed herself.

“I’m looking for the auditorium,” she replied. “If you can escort me over there, that would be…swell?” She had a hard time coming up with the word that she had spoken. The girl grabbed her hand immediately after she said that last sentence.

“Golly, I know exactly where that is, honey!” she said with polite enthusiasm. “Miss Loretta is just about to make her speech to the entire school! Just follow me, and we’ll be over there lickety-split!”

“Um…thank you so much,” Crystal responded a little embarrassed about the girl’s cheery disposition. The girl ran off in the direction of the auditorium with Crystal following her in a slight jog. Reala watched the whole thing unfold and laughed slightly at her embarrassment as he walked in that exact direction.

Crystal managed to make her way to the auditorium thanks to the girl’s footsteps as well as her stopping every now and again to wave her over. She noticed that there was a rather large crowd gathered outside and began to wonder what was about to take place. The doors swung open and everyone in the crowd entered in a single filed fashion. Crystal also entered along with the girl leading the way, and Reala was entering at a distance as well. Crystal looked around the crowd, but being only five foot three, she can barely make out the stage. She looked over at the girl.

“Thank you for the escort,” she said to her.

“You’re welcome, sweetie!” the girl replied happily. “Best of luck and stay swell!” Crystal began to get closer to the stage as she said the following phrases.

“Excuse me, sir,” she spoke up. “Pardon me. May I get passed?” Everyone who heard allowed her to move forward. Finally, she was able to make it halfway to the end of the huge crowd. She can see a woman with a large dome of red hair on the stage. The woman was wearing a beautiful mint-green circle dress with a pink rose emblem on the pockets, a pair of pink pumps, a pair of white opaque stockings, a pair of mint-green glasses, a pink beaded necklace and matching earrings and bracelet, and on her large dome of hair, she had a rose hairpin in it.

 _Ah yes, the infamous beehive haircut,_ Crystal thought to herself with a rather amused look on her face. _A very popular hairstyle for women back in those days._ She looked behind the woman to see a group of six students dressed fashionably for the time period. Half were male and wearing either the typical argyle vests, loafers, and trousers, Letterman jackets and trousers with dress shoes, or dress shirts, trousers, loafers, and suspenders. The other half were girls and were either wearing an outfit identical to Crystal’s current attire, a circle dress with pumps and stockings, as well as beaded necklaces, or blouses with plaid skirts, bobby socks, and saddle shoes.

“Welcome dearies to the one and only Rosetta Etiquette school,” the woman announced. The people in the crowd all applauded politely. Crystal too clapped for the lady at the front. But while she was clapping, Reala had just made his way into the auditorium to check on her from afar. He can see her trying to blend in and was impressed by her attire and change in appearance. Sadly for her, he was not easily fooled in the slightest. As soon as the applause was over, the woman spoke again.

“I am the headmistress, Miss Abigail Loretta,” she spoke politely with a smile that never faltered. “Our mission with this swell etiquette school is to help students with problems with their demeanor in hopes of allowing them to mingle with society. So far, over a thousand students are attending this lovely school over the past year, and many are happy with the swell nature of our program. Many of our previous graduates came out with a more friendly outlook on our society and are now doing their part in helping with the environment and contributing their part in our swell neighborhood.” Crystal looked at the students behind Miss Loretta very carefully and made note of their expressions.

 _Their smiles,_ she thought to herself. _They look pleasant enough, but it’s almost as if they’re vacant, almost as if they either had been forced to smile or if there’s sinister intent behind them. Something’s not right here._ Miss Loretta laughed as she strutted around the stage.

“Our students have been trained with many skills related to our society today,” she explained. “As part of our school’s regiment, we give singing and dancing lessons every Wednesday, and Friday. We also help with greetings and smiles, and how to dress properly for the time. And for all you Magicians of Light or Sorcerers of Darkness in the crowd, we even provide magic-related activities to help you control the powers you were gifted with in a much better fashion and mingle with our world. We even have a battlefield for those who want to fight out their worries and let off a little steam now and again. Doesn’t that sound pleasant?”

Everyone was amazed at the prospect of watching those two beings of magic perform tricks and battles for them in the classroom and beyond. Crystal began to look around once more and noticed Reala in the background. She didn’t think much of his appearance until she noticed the black lipstick he was wearing. She froze when he saw his shadow, the shadow bearing his true sinister appearance. _The Nightmare Jester is here? Does that mean what I think it means?! No! It couldn’t be!_

She looked around at the students around her and began to worry when she noticed that almost none of them had shadows. If they did, the shadows looked androgynous and strange, as if they were the same species as Nights. Crystal’s heart was pounding very rapidly when she noticed that her shadow was the only one that was human. When she realized that Reala was looking at her with a sly smile, she chastised herself through thought alone.

 _No,_ she thought. _Don’t show any fear when around them. That’s how they control you. Just remain calm and they won’t bother you._ Her Ideya of Courage glowed brightly as her thoughts soothed the storm brewing within her. Her heartbeat returned to normal the moment these thoughts entered her mind subsiding her lingering despair. She looked up at Miss Loretta while Reala walked up to the young princess getting closer to her as Crystal calmed herself from her brief panic attack.

“To show off how skilled some of our magical students are, I’m going to need a volunteer,” she announced. Crystal looked around for anyone willing to rise to the challenge. When she can see that no one was doing anything but stare blankly with vacant smiles, she was slightly disappointed. She decided to raise her hand, but before she can raise it fully, her hand was taken mid-rise. Reala had somehow made it passed the crowd and walked up to her without arousing suspicion from the people around them. He placed his free hand gently on her back as if to push her gently forward.

“Right this way, my dear,” he offered her. Crystal normally walked up to people or areas on her own, but she realized that it would be considered rude if she turned him down. She was surprised to see him this close to her again. She was a bit startled but didn’t show any fear to avoid another panic attack.

“Oh, um, thank you,” she thanked him as he leads her right to Miss Loretta with many onlookers starring at the two. Crystal was a bit embarrassed at the situation, but she was just trying to blend in. They, at last, reached the stage as Reala lead her right to the staircase to the right of the stage. He let her hand go and gave a bow to her as she curtsied to him. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of scaring her. She walked up to Miss Loretta and the headmistress took her hand as soon as she approached her.

“Would you care to demonstrate for us, deary?” she asked her politely. “You look like a strong and capable girl, and three of the magical students need some exercise to help ease their powers. I promise it won’t take long.” Crystal was amazed at the fact that she was so polite and sweet, and the fact that her smile remained in place.

“Well, since you’ve been so polite,” she responded, “how can I say no?”

“Splendid!” Miss Loretta replied immediately. “There are currently three students in total for you to have a friendly battle with, and once you defeat all three of them, you can come and see me, and we can discuss a swell reward for you.” Crystal then curtsied politely as the audience clapped politely. She looked around to see the doors leading to the gymnasium, and with an escort next to her, one that wasn’t Reala, she went straight toward the area. She and the boy next to her entered the gym and she noticed that a student is already on the opposite side. It was the same girl that lead her to the auditorium.

“Why hello again!” she shouted to her excitedly. “I didn’t think I’d be fighting you today!” Crystal walked up to the arena and stood opposite of the girl. She then spoke, “How ironic. In any case, let’s do our best out there, okay?”

“Oh gosh,” said the girl. “Don’t forget your weapon, silly billy!” Crystal did a face in which she beamed in embarrassment in addition to sticking her tongue out, and bonking herself on the head. She then rummaged around her purse and found an old family heirloom she had on hand in case of accidental time-travel. It was a rose-gold scepter decorated with pearls and rubies and was done in a way that showed the three rubies at the center and the pearls at the top part of the scepter. At the bottom of the weapon was a smaller ruby with a pearl at the top of said ruby.

“All right, I’m ready,” she announced to her opponent. The girl tapped her saddle shoes on the ground summoning a wand of her own. Hers was a bronze yellow wand with an emerald as the main gem in the middle. She then brandished it ready for battle, her smile unfaltering.

“Don’t get mad if I win!” the girl said cheerfully. “I’ve been sprucing up my skills since I got here, so let’s both do our best!” Crystal and the girl got into a battle-ready stance and readied their scepters. The referee walked up to the stage and raised the whistle. He then blew the whistle and the battle begins. The girl started things off with telekinetic power, and she was floating off the ground. Crystal started running around the arena as the girl began throwing halo discs at her. She was dodging her disc at every turn. One of the discs hit her and she healed herself from the wounds. She also set up a barrier just the be safe.

 _Looks like she has Light Magic as the main magic,_ she thought to herself. _Well, since using Dark Magic will backfire on me, I’ll try Psychic Magic to confuse her. Then maybe I can use Cosmic Magic in tandem._ She then concentrated her spell while she continued around dodging the halo discs being thrown in her direction. After a few seconds, she used Illusion Delusion, a Psychic spell that confounds anyone caught within its range. Thankfully, the girl was in range when she initiated the attack so she was confused the moment it hit her. Crystal kept her distance however and activated a spell known as Celestial Shower, allowing a heavy rain of stars to collide with her opponent. The battle wasn’t over yet however as the girl got up despite the knock-back.

The girl resumed her battle stance, but this time she mixed it up with using geomancy. She began to use crystalline attacks against her as the princess continued to run through the arena freely. She was hit a few times from the smaller crystals, all of whom green, but she didn’t waver. Crystal was able to cast another spell, Flower Hurricane. A tornado of rose petals rises from the ground and tries to trap her opponent in a flurry of sharp rose petals. Her opponent thankfully wasn’t very bright and she went down rather quickly from the sharp edges of the petals themselves.

“The Red Stone girl wins!” shouted the referee. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief. After the girl she battled got up and skipped away, she is replaced by another student. He was one of the students that were on the stage behind Miss Loretta.

“Well gosh, it looks like I’m next,” he told her. “I do hope you like roses, sweetheart. They’re perfect for any girl your age and beyond.” He then summons a rose-themed rapier. Crystal remained calm when he did so, mainly because of a mental note about his power.

 _Nature Magic it looks like,_ she thought. _Nothing a little fire and ice can’t handle._ She began to run around the arena waiting for an opportunity to strike him. The boy ran after her and began to strike her in a flurry of slashes, most of which Crystal dodged with ease by using Arctic Sabre as a defensive measure. After some fencing skills, such as a riposte or a series of parries, she managed to overcome his barrage of strikes. She then performed a second riposte knocking him off-balance.

The male student quickly composed himself and continued slashing at Crystal, even backing away sometimes to turn his rose rapier into a whip to try and attack her from afar. She was much faster however and she parried each lash with a swing of her Arctic Sabre. She then finished the battle with a riposte of ice, freezing her opponent in place.

“The Red Stone girl wins!” shouted the referee. Crystal felt sorry for the lad, and used her flames to set the opponent free from her icy grasp. She had not intended for him to remain frozen. Her heart was too large for such an act of villainy.

“Why thank you, dear,” he replied politely. “I wish you the best of luck in this last battle. Don’t hesitate to give us a ring if you need any assistance. Ta-ta for now!” The lad sashayed to his spot on the podium and a second male student took his place in the arena. He was wearing a purple Letterman sweater, a lilac-colored button up dress shirt, a pair of plum-colored trousers, and a pair of black loafers.

“So, you have more than one element, little miss?” he inquired. Crystal nodded to her opponent knowing that it was pointless to hide the truth. The boy added, “In that case, let’s hope you don’t get too far with your power. We don’t want any hooligans thinking you’re the top dog in near future. But enough about them. Let’s do our best and have a good time.” He then summons what appears to be a new scepter, decorated with silver as the base, and with amethyst as the gems powering the weapon. He brandishes it, and the battle begins.

The boy begins with a powerful wave of Dark Magic in the area. This knocked Crystal backward for a brief moment before she fell on her butt from the power exuding from him. She was a bit surprised, but she didn’t falter. She got back on her feet and brandished her scepter. She began to sprint around the arena when her opponent started using dark lightning, causing a dark storm to engulf the area. She activated a barrier just to be safe.

 _I’m going to need to get to the eye of the storm somehow,_ she thought to herself. _Once I reach him, I’ll counteract this power with my trademark Light Magic._ She began to charge a Light Magic spell known as Heaven’s Light. Once it was fully charged, she released it into the air, blinding her opponent. She then activated her Halo Disc Barrage to shoot as many discs as possible at her opponent. She threw two discs at him as he tried to use a dark fireball against her. She was faster however and she managed to veer away from the flame. One of the discs missed the boy, but the other struck the lad in the side.

“What a marvelous display of magic!” one audience member commented politely. Crystal didn’t lose focus despite the comment. She wasn’t about to get distracted by anything. Her opponent then summoned a dark energy wave and knocked her backward causing some damage to her health. Crystal got back up and healed herself. She then went straight towards the boy while charging a Light Magic spell. In but a few short seconds, she activated the Seraph Wheel, and attack that not only attacks an opponent who is closer to her but acts as a defensive ring around her. She also activates a barrier for good measure. The boy activates a dark spell while she floated like a ghost as the ring around her spun in a circle. He had used Dark Lightning once again, but this time, Crystal was ready to counter it with a spell that she had in mind.

As a black lightning bolt was about to strike, she activated her spell, Millennium Lens Flare. The arena was engulfed in light from the orbs surrounding her and her barrier. The boy was blinded by the attack, but the Dark Lightning continued. Despite this, Crystal managed to make it past the lightning bolts and blast him with a Shining Orb, knocking the boy out of the ring. The crowd cheered as she, at last, defeated her opponent with grace and beauty.

“The Red Stone Girl wins once more!” the referee announced. Crystal deactivated her barrier and rings soon after. She then placed her ruby scepter back in her purse for safekeeping. She looked around at the crowd and was amazed by the standing ovation. She blushed a little upon seeing the crowd cheer for her.

“Thank you, everyone,” she told the crowd. As everyone in the crowd continued to applaud her while she blushed with embarrassment, Reala approached her and tapped her on the shoulder.

“I apologize, my dear,” he spoke. “Miss Loretta is waiting for you in her office.”

“Um…thank you, sir,” she replied a little hesitant to go with him. Reala leads her away from the crowd of people, and the two when down the hallway. Reluctantly, Crystal stayed with him as they went to the right, making note of him smiling with a rather sly tone. The two made their way to the headmaster’s office, where Reala gave a polite bow to Crystal while she curtsied.

“Thank you, kind sir,” she told him, playing along, not showing any fear to her enemy. “I’ll take care of the rest from here.”

“As you wish,” he spoke with a sly smile. “After you.” He opens the door for her as she enters it. Inside, the office is beautifully decorated in vintage furniture and wallpaper. Argyle patterns lined the wall around her, a vintage lamp sat next to a 50s styled desk, and on the desk were some vintage photos and novels, one of which was open as if the headmistress was reading the book. Crystal looked over at who was sitting at the desk. It was Miss Loretta, warmly smiling at her as if she was waiting patiently for her arrival. She rose from her seat, and walked straight to her with an enthusiastic smile, taking her by the hand as soon as she approached her.

“Oh, marvelous, you did such a wonderful job!” she said to the confused princess.

“Thank you, Miss Loretta,” Crystal replied quickly regaining her composure. “Now about why you called me here?”

“Ah yes,” Miss Loretta responded as if she knew she was going to ask her about this. “I know this is sudden, but will you have a battle with me, sweetheart? I wish to learn more about your progression of battling other folks of your kind at the school you go to.” Crystal was a bit surprised at this sudden interest in her powers and her school but quickly dismissed her misgivings.

“Oh, you’ve been keeping track of Red Stone Academy?” she asked playing along with the woman’s act of kindness. _That makes sense since Red Stone was founded in 1922._

“Of course!” Miss Loretta answered cheerfully. “I’ve been in contact with many of the schools in our area. Not only do I run this swell etiquette school, but I also survey the schools that do things differently than our program. Normally I wouldn’t do such a boorish activity for fear of destroying my attire, but watching you battle those three students has gotten me all excited! I hope you’re ready for what’s in store.” Crystal pondered for a moment before responding.

“Well,” she said to her, “normally I would be against fighting a school official, but if it’s a test, I’ll take it. Fair warning though, even I don’t know my strength sometimes. So sorry in advance if I get a little too…dowdy.”

“Apology accepted, sweetie,” said Miss Loretta. “Let’s both do our best in this battle.” The headmistress giggles upon saying this. Crystal gave a smile and a nod, and she brandished her ruby wand once more. Miss Loretta then changes the room into an arena with a wave of her hand. She then summons a scepter of her own, one decorated in the same fashion as Crystal’s but with rose gold at the base, and was decorated with aquamarines as opposed to rubies. She brandished her wand, and the battle begins.

Miss Loretta began the battle with a halo barrier, and Crystal began running around the arena. Miss Loretta activated the spell Flower Hurricane. Crystal was caught up in a storm of petals from rose, to lily, to even cherry blossom petals. But she remained undeterred as she countered the storm with one of her own, Supreme Thunder. From the petal storm came a cluster of thunder and lighting that filled the entire arena. The headmistress was knocked for a loop upon getting caught up in the storm, but her smile remained unwavering. Despite her best efforts, the young princess still took critical damage from the petal storm. Crystal took notice of the fact that her smile is starting to look malicious every time she damaged her.

 _Looks like I’ll need to use Fire, Ice, and Cosmos magic to stop her. From the looks of things, she may not go down all that easy._ Crystal then went around the arena as Miss Loretta summons a series of plant-like pillars to try and sting the princess. She also summoned a series of light pillars to try and blind her. Crystal was not deterred despite the bullet nightmare she is going through. She finally sees an opportunity and used Frost Fusion, an attack that fuses the icicles that form as pillars into the targeted object and freezes them solid causing them to break like glass. Crystal then used a move known as Celestial Shower summoning an array of shooting stars that damaged the teacher and dazzled the arena.

Miss Loretta remained a smiling beautiful woman, all while summoning a series of rose thorns and halos to try and trip Crystal up. Although the latter was faster, she still took some damage from both the halos and the rose thorns, all the same, forcing her to heal herself mid-battle. She couldn’t help but shudder every time she saw Miss Loretta. _Okay, she’s starting to creep me out,_ she thought. _She seems to have her heart in the right place, but I know for a fact that smiles like that hide a sinister purpose. I’ve got to end this quick and get back to headquarters, or else I’d end up as one of those Stepford students._

Crystal thought of an idea quickly as a barrage of pink rose petals starts to attack her from all angles as if it were a swarm of bees protecting their hive. She ran around the arena hoping to shake them off, but the petals themselves persisted causing some damage to her health. She continued to run around dodging petals from every angle. While she did this, she began charging a spell of her own. After five seconds, she let loose the spell Diamond Dust Fury. This was a counter-attack to the petal storm surrounding her. Miss Loretta wasn’t letting up, however, and she performed Venus Frenzy causing a plethora of Venus flytraps to appear and try to eat Crystal alive. The girl thought fast however by using the spell Pyro Dispersion, a fire spell that spreads like a wave of flames. That not only destroyed some of the plants but also damaged Miss Loretta who was not too far behind.

Crystal breathed a sigh of relief as she then activated the spell Snow Flurry, a defensive spell that covers the ground to trip up opponents caught in the storm. Miss Loretta was blinded by the storm as she tried to get to Crystal with her Rose Petal Flurry. Unfortunately for her, the young princess managed to overcome the storm of floral furry, and she finished her off with a resounding Lava Plume, causing a heatwave of fire to burst through the room and knock the headmistress backward. Crystal was victorious.

Miss Loretta is shown on the ground holding her head steady as Crystal ran to her to check if she was all right. She had just put her ruby scepter away beforehand as the battle was over. She made note of her shadow, which looked as though her true form was an androgynous-looking figure wearing the same dress as the form she had taken now. _Yeah, she’s a Nightmaren all right. I’d better not point that out though. She may lash out if I do._ Crystal placed her hand on the headmistress and performed a healing spell to ease her pain. She even took the time to repair her glasses. She then dusted the teacher off as she got up and got the creases out of her dress.

“I’m sorry Miss Loretta,” Crystal told her. “That was way too rough on my end. As I said, I don’t know my strength sometimes.” Miss Loretta smiled her signature smile as she looked at her with an understanding look. She quickly changed her tune to a more cheery expression.

“Oh golly!” she exclaimed. “You did such a swell job in battle, that I feel you deserve a nice reward!” She then opened the front desk drawer where it appears that she kept an odd bottle of some kind. It looked as though it contained some sort of perfume. As she was about to take it from the drawer, she felt a jolt of some kind behind her as the image of Reala’s true form appeared behind her in shadow.

“Not yet,” he told her through telepathy as her face changed to a mixture of fear and wonder. Reala’s image vanished soon after. She then looked down at the perfume bottle and closed the desk drawer with her eyes closed, and an unusually somber look.

“Something wrong, Miss Loretta?” Crystal asked, noticing the look on her face right away.

“Phooey,” said Miss Loretta. “You’ll have to forgive me.” She smiled at her while beaming once more, adding, “I thought I had it ready by now, but it seems that you’ll need to wait just a little bit longer. I apologize for the inconvenience, deary, but please, return to Red Stone, and I’ll have your reward ready for you as soon as I can. You’re going to love it.”

“I understand,” Crystal replied with a smile. “Thank you for your time, Miss Loretta. Hope to participate in another demonstration in the future.” She then curtsied as she went out the door. She looked around the hallway to see no one watching her, much to her relief. She then noticed that Reala was nowhere to be seen. Taking her chance, she raced through the now empty hallways and found her exit. She did note of some fog building up in the hallways but was not deterred. She made it to the exact spot she had found herself in before coming to the headmistress’s office. The portal she had gone through was still active. After breathing a sigh of relief, she went through the portal back to the headquarters, vowing not to return to this strange vintage world again until the right moment.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The inspiration of the fifties-styled world came from Mr. Buddy's video in which he had his own evil team for the Pokemon Series. Simply put, it's Stepford people times eleven for this evil team. Going back to the story, Crystal almost got sprayed in the face with the potion Miss Loretta was about to use. The reason why Reala stopped her is because he wants Crystal alive. He sees potential in Crystal's power.


	11. Trial # 1: Nightopian Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal begins her first trial as she enters the maze of the Quartz Palace. She expects the trial to be a difficult one, and she hopes to accomplish her goal in time. Can she do so without attracting the attention of Wizeman's right-hand man?

Crystal had just exited the same portal she had used to leave the Stepford world behind as she found herself back in the resistance headquarters, still wearing the attire matching the world she was exploring earlier. Seraphinite and Morganite were together in the same room when she came out. Cumula circled her as she dusted herself off from the dust she had accumulated from the fight before. She then brushed her low ponytail behind her.

“Crystal, put that back in your grandma’s closet,” Seraphinite playfully chided her for her fashion choice. Crystal gave a surprised look before she put her fist on her head in a playful manner while sticking her tongue out as Seraphinite said this. Morganite laughed while Crystal retrieved her fashion book from her purse and flipped to the exact page she got the outfit from. With a snap of her fingers, a puff of smoke appeared changing her back to her original attire, and her eyes and hair were back to their normal golden-yellow and blonde-streak brunette respectively. The ponytail was gone as well. She then walked toward the duo as Seraphinite playfully spun around in place while Morganite laughed at her sibling’s suggestion.

“I was about to say, why is she wearing a poodle skirt?” she said as her expression changed from playful laughter to slight bewilderment. Crystal dusted herself off from the puff of smoke that had appeared earlier. She then composed herself and smiled.

“Sorry about the change of attire,” she told the two. “I found this paraloop vortex and I was a bit curious about what was on the other side. So I went in. I wound up in this strange, Stepford-like society with dapper and stylish clothing. On top of that, folks were way too friendly and polite, forced or otherwise, and uh…” Crystal felt a little uneasy about what she had to say before she was cut off by a smirking Seraphinite.

“You went to Nightmare, didn’t you?” she asked in a sassy tone. Crystal’s blood ran cold upon hearing this revelation.

“Wait,” she said rather abruptly. “That was the Nightmare Realm?” She looked back at the now non-existent portal, a sweat drop trickling down her forehead. Morganite placed her hand on Crystal’s shoulder to reassure her that everything is okay.

“One of many areas in there,” she explained. “That was the Stepford prefecture you just came from. Some folks are afraid to conform to society, so Wizeman in his infinite wisdom made part of the realm based on that. At least you made it out all right with your Courage Ideya in tact.” Crystal looked over at her red light to be sure, and she breathed a sigh of relief before turning to Seraphinite.

“So were you guys waiting for me to come back?” she asked. “Or was it about something else?”

“Hikaru wants to talk to you for a moment before you go to the trial site with Rhodonite,” Seraphinite explained. “She said something about an object helping you find certain leveled Nightmarens in the area, but didn’t tell me what item exactly. So follow me and Morganite, and we’ll go pick it up, all right?” Crystal nodded and the trio went off together to Hikaru’s work station, the former two floating, and the latter girl walking alongside them. Once they made it to Hikaru’s research facility, she was there waiting for them. She looked over at Crystal and leaped onto her with a beaming smile of concern while hugging her.

“Oh, thank goodness you got out of there!” she said to her with concern in her tone. “If you strayed any further, you would’ve stayed in your coma for good!” She loosened her hug on the girl and dusted her skater skirt off a little. She breathed a sigh of relief soon after.

“Anyway,” she added, “I have this mirror here that might make your trials a bit easier to manage.” She held out a hand mirror of some sort. The base of the mirror was blue, and the mirror itself was in the shape of a pentagon. On the points of the pentagonal mirror were five gray orbs. The handle of the mirror was straight and narrow, except for the end of the handle which was in the shape of a rhombus. The end of the handle was decorated with an amethyst. On the back of the mirror was an embroidered, five-pointed star. Crystal was enamored by its appearance.

“Well go on,” Hikaru encouraged her playfully. “Take it.” Crystal snapped out of it and shook her head a little to compose herself.

“Sorry,” she said a little embarrassed. “I got distracted by its beauty. Thank you.” She then took it graciously as she held the handle of the mirror. As she took it, the orb at the very top of the mirror began to glow a brilliant red. Crystal was surprised at this notion. She knew she was dreaming, but never knew that such a thing existed in dreams.

“Wow, one of the orbs just lit up,” Crystal said entranced by the orb that glowed above the mirror.

“That’s because it’s keeping track of what Ideya you currently have,” Hikaru explained. “Owl and I worked together to create this mirror, so please, don’t lose it.”

“I won’t,” Crystal explained. She then noticed that it started to flash the number two in the mirror itself much to her amazement. She then added, “Oh it’s a magic mirror! That I can see why because we Magicians of Light are well known for magical objects like this.” Crystal beamed at Hikaru while she held up the mirror to show what it was showing.

“In this mirror’s case,” Hikaru explained, “it can detect either a 2nd Level Nightmaren like it’s doing right now, or a 1st Level Nightmaren. The number switches between the two though, so please, make sure you check it every minute you can.”

“Oh, I will,” Crystal stated while she nodded, having listened to the whole thing herself. She then placed the mirror in her satchel for safekeeping. Hikaru than produced the mask from Crystal’s childhood, but it has been enlarged to fit an adult human. The rose-gold base remained intact despite the change in size, but now the aura quartz was spread more decorative. One rested in the middle, and one small one each rested at the sides of the eyes.

“Hey! My mask!” Crystal said gratefully. She took it graciously from Hikaru. She added, “It looks so much better than it did when I first made it. Thank you, Hikaru.”

“You’re welcome,” Hikaru said beaming. Crystal put the mask away in her satchel for safekeeping. Owl then appeared before the two and patted Crystal on the back as reassurance that she wasn’t in any trouble. She turned to her elderly mentor and rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. Cumula circled Crystal like a halo bleating a little with relief.

“Sorry I made you worry, Owl,” she explained. “Someone left a portal here, I entered, and, well you get the idea.”

“Seraphinite informed me about your little adventure into Nightmare,” he told her in understanding. “Try to be a little more careful next time you traverse such a plain. Nightmare is known to deceive those who enter it without provocation.”

“Understood,” she told him a little embarrassed about what had transpired. Crystal looked over at Rhodonite who was waving her over. She then turned to Owl and said to him, “I have to get going. My first trial isn’t going to complete itself.”

“Stay on your guard, Crystal,” Owl told her. “Nights will join you when he is fully recovered. I will inform him of your trial in your place.”

“Thank you Owl,” she replied. “See you when I get back.” Crystal and Cumula both get passed the old bird as he smiled at them knowing that they’ll be safe around Rhodonite. She managed to make her way over to him just in the nick of time. They then made their way to the exit and went back to the dream gate, then went straight to the Quartz Palace and entered together.

Once they made it in, Rhodonite then flew on ahead telling her, “Follow me, champ in the making.” Crystal followed him in hot pursuit as he led her to the great castle itself. Some 3rd Level Nightmarens tried attacking her while she and Cumula followed the rogue Nightmaren. She, Rhodonite, and Cumula quickly dispatched them in quick succession; Crystal used her power of fire to burn away the villainous Nightmarens while Cumula used her inflatable body as a bowling bowl to bowl them over. As for Rhodonite, he blasted a large number of them away with a series of rhombus-shaped rose quartz gems and paralooped the rest back to Nightmare.

After the battle, Rhodonite continued to fly ahead of the duo while they followed in his direction. After a second battle against a Nightmaren hoard, they managed to make their way to the Palace itself. They made it to the same garden from Crystal’s flashback; the same emerald-green bushes with ruby-red roses, the same turquoise statues, and the same rose quartz fountain spraying purple water. Crystal knew this place all too well. Rhodonite then gave a bow to her as he held his head up to her.

“Welcome to the Rose Quartz Garden Trial,” he greeted her. “Thanks for your patience while I scouted ahead of the pack.” Rhodonite straightened up and looked over to the maze beyond the fountain before adding, “I’m pretty sure you know this maze inside and out am I right?”

“Oh, you have no idea, my flying friend,” Crystal responded with a sly smile and a chuckle. She then looked over the hedges to see a rather startling sight. Cages were lined up in the labyrinth as if they were part of the decor that surrounded her beautiful garden. Upon closer inspection, they each contained a group of Nightopians all terrified for their lives with some of them squirming to try and destroy the cage themselves. Crystal frowned a little upon seeing this.

“I don’t remember those caged Nightopians being part of the decor though,” she said slightly annoyed by whoever placed the benevolent creatures in their prisons. On the inside, she was more worried about them more than the trial. Rhodonite took notice of them as well and remarked, “I had a feeling you’d notice them. Those poor souls got themselves caught while they were playing hide and seek out in the garden. There’s a total of six cages to unlock. And the keys are scattered throughout the maze.” He turned to Crystal and added, “Reala set them up as a trap to lure Nights in like a moth to a flame.” Crystal was confused by the name that the young Nightmaren just blurted out.

“Reala?” she repeated the name though pronounced differently to him. “Who the heck is that?” Rhodonite was a bit surprised at her reaction and explained who it was.

“You should know,” he playfully told her. “You and Nights flew away from him earlier.” Crystal then felt a jolt of realization as she remembered the first time the two had met. A brief flashback ran across her mind.

“After them, you fools!” Reala commanded angrily. The flashback ends with Crystal’s eyes widening in realization as her she froze in place for a brief moment.

“The Nightmare Jester’s name is Reala?” she inquired rather worriedly. Rhodonite wasn’t surprised a bit when she said this.

“Didn’t know until now, did you?” he asked her. She nodded rather cautiously and he continued soon after her silent answer.

“Anyway,” he added, “since Nights is still resting up in his tent, that’s where you come in. All you gotta do is find the six keys and take them to the correct cage to let the Nightopians out of there. Make sure you pay attention to the symbols on each of the keys so you’d know which cage to unlock. Once they’re out, the little guys are free to run loose in the garden again. Oh, almost forgot!” He then looked behind himself to a cage that was covered in a large mantle of some kind. He went straight to it and took the cover off to reveal the same Hollow from before. This time, however, she was fully healed and ready to fly once more. As soon as she saw Crystal, she cawed excitedly as Rhodonite opened the birdcage letting her fly out on her own.

“Here’s the Hollow you rescued earlier,” he said to the young princess.

“Pidge,” Crystal said giggling slightly. Cumula recognized her friend as well and flew right to her. As the two played ring-around-the-rose together, Rhodonite explained further.

“Pidge is going to be your eye in the sky from this trial and onward,” he told her. “She’ll scout out any keys you may have missed throughout the trial and she can even retrieve people if you give her a treat on occasion.” He then raised his fist in front of him in a triumphant motion as the two lesser Nightmarens returned to Crystal in a cheery mood.

“Okay, all set!” he said excitedly. “Good luck in the trial, little lady, and don’t let the Nightmares get you!” He then took his position at the side of the entrance to the maze after giving the young princess a bag of treats for Pidge. The Hollow then flew onto Crystal’s left lower arm on her command and the trial begins.

Crystal entered the maze while brandishing her Millennium Rod, knowing about the Nightmarens that might lurk within the emerald green walls of the garden. She navigated the maze using her foresight just to be safe. She hadn’t forgotten Pidge or Cumula however as the former was given a treat to scout out other areas just in case. The latter stayed close behind as the two navigated the maze, and found their first cage. It was an iron-clad cage in the shape on an egg with what appeared to be gold around the rim. She made note of the symbol at the top of the cage.

“A white crescent moon,” she told herself this. “The key that goes with it has to be somewhere around here. Let’s see if we can find our first key, Cumula.” The two went to the left of the maze and she placed her hand on the hedge to avoid getting lost. She didn’t mind mazes all that much as long as she knew what to do when trapped in one. When they came across a fork in the road, Crystal checked which direction to go with her foresight. One of the areas appeared to be a dead end.

“Let’s check the dead-end area first,” she proposed to her friend as she went to the left only to see nothing but a key at the end. Cumula, eager to please her master, flew right up to the key and grabbed it with her mouth. Before she can give it over to her, however, she compared the key to the cage they came to earlier but found no match. Despite this, she flew right back to Crystal and presented it to her with a pleased look on her face. Crystal examined it further and looked at the symbol on the key to be sure. It was a yellow star as opposed to the white crescent moon that she was looking for.

“Nice catch, Cumula,” she told her giggling. “This key’s a yellow star as opposed to the white crescent moon. But we’ll hang to it anyway. Maybe we’ll bump into the cage this one belongs to later.” Cumula nodded in agreement. Crystal put the key in her bag for safekeeping. The two continued through the maze as they took the opposite direction. As soon as they came across another fork in the road, a hoard of 3rd Level Nightmarens jumped out at the duo. Crystal and Cumula both attacked the hoard together, and with a mixture of elemental power, and a puffed up Shleep, the two were victorious.

Crystal and Cumula continued to navigate the maze as they then come across another key in the dead end. Crystal ran up to it along with Cumula and picked it up to check what symbol it had. The latter bleated in excitement. It was the white crescent moon that they were looking for.

“Well, I’ll be Lady Palutena,” she said to herself chuckling. “We found the key to the first cage.” She put the key away in her satchel for safekeeping, and looked up at the sky just in time to see Pidge cawing at the duo. Cumula bleated to her in response as Crystal held out her lower left arm for her to land on.

“Did you find something, Pidge?” she asked. The Hollow cawed as if to say yes to her master.

“All right, girl,” she replied. “Lead the way.” Pidge then took off in front of her as she and Cumula followed her through the maze. Crystal used her foresight to keep track of which direction she went in just to be safe. After fighting through another hoard battle of Nightmarens along the way, with Pidge spewing out fireballs at her villainous kin, they made it to the area that she had discovered. At last they had come across a cage that contained a new symbol, the yellow star.

“Great job, Pidge!” she told her Hollow friend. The Hollow cawed in response to her praise. Crystal dug around her satchel before finding the key that belonged to the cage and using it on the. The cage was destroyed soon after and what remained of it turned to dust, setting the Nightopians trapped inside free. The benevolent creatures were grateful for their rescue and babbled a thank you to her as they flew off in multiple directions. _One down, five to go,_ she thought to herself. She and her Nightmaren allies took off in on a different course to another part of the maze.

Meanwhile, Reala is residing in his realm once more, having transformed back into his true form while no one was around in another location. He had just returned from his mission waiting for the moment to strike. He looked to his blue flame torch to check on his sibling. The image showed Nights healing the rest of his wounds with his own healing power. Reala smiled coldly as if he enjoyed the suffering his sibling had gone through.

 _Still recovering are we, my sibling? This is what happens when you defy our master. Now what of the trap I laid out for you?_ He then dispersed the flame and set a new image. Crystal is shown navigating the maze with Pidge and Cumula. She is feeling happy about rescuing the first batch of Nightopians and is hoping to find more in the area.

“Let’s keep our eyes open for the rest of the keys, guys,” she told them. She looked to the mirror and added, “According to the mirror, some of them are being guarded.” Reala looked at her and her 3rd Level Nightmaren allies with a surprised look.

“Oopsie,” he told himself with the same look. He quickly composed himself with a scowl while adding, “Forgot about that girl.” He looked over at Clawz who was growling a bit at the image before looking back at Reala. It purred upon seeing its master. Reala smiled at his pet.

“Stand guard over my realm for me, my pet,” he told Clawz. “I will return shortly.” Clawz walked up to him and nudged his leg allowing Reala to pet him while dispersing the blue flame torch. He then flew into the air and circled the sky, creating a vortex in the process. He grinned as he entered the vortex with Clawz standing at attention as he guarded the realm in his place.

Crystal, Cumula, and Pidge continued to traverse the maze in search of keys to the cages they needed to unlock. The trio went to a three way path and they split up into separate paths. She then managed to make it to another cage in the clearing. She checked the symbol on the cage. It was a blue spade this time.

“Hey, my suit from Wonderland Academy,” she told herself. She then looked over at the helpless creatures in the cage and told them, “Don’t worry little guys. I’ll get you out as soon as I find the correct key. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” The Nightopians in the cage all cheered in her direction as soon as she said this. After giving a brief, Magician of Light salute, she took off to the left of the cage. After a short while, she came across what appeared to be one of the vultures that was led by Reala. _That’s the same vulture guard from earlier,_ she thought as she recognized the magenta color scheme right away. _I’m not gonna bother putting it to sleep this time._ She readied her Millennium Rod expecting a fight on her hands. The rider on the vulture took notice of her presence and readied the bird for the battle.

Crystal began by using an electrified whip from her Millennium Rod. The vulture began to fly around her as the rider taunted her with a menacing laugh. This didn’t sway her as she continued her whip-like fury against the creature. The vulture didn’t seem to be phased however as it started pecking at her mid-air. She took some damage from it, but she continued. She activated a different spell this time, Zeus’ Fury, a thunder and lightning spell which can not only weaken those in the air, but also ground the long enough for her to attack them while they’re down. Crystal activated the spell Clashing Sabre to attack the vulture and its’ rider. She continued until the rider woke from its’ dizziness and took flight once more.

The rider commanded it to take flight further and higher into the air long enough for it to dive-bomb at the girl. Crystal didn’t have enough time to react as she was focused on charging an ice spell. She took damage from the attack forcing her to cancel the charge. After recovering from the blow, she tried one more time to charge an ice spell, only for the vulture to fly towards the background, and charge right at her damaging her in the process and making her lose her focus. Having had enough, she finally used a new ice spell called Raging Glacier, a mixture of a blizzard and a whirlwind that can trap opponents in a flurry of sharp icicle shards and snow flurries. This caused the vulture and its’ rider to be caught up in this furious snow storm, twirling them around in a spiral. While this occurred, Crystal took advantage of the situation and used her signature Phoenix Flare to blast her opponent out of the sky, causing the vulture and rider to crash onto the ground.

The vulture and rider duo were dazed from the attacks. Crystal summoned her Arctic Sabre to insure her victory and began to attack him in a flurry of sword swings. She continued until she finished him off with a resounding icy riposte, freezing the bird and rider in place. Having won against the duo, she searched the rider’s belt. As soon as she found it, she grabbed the key. She examined it and noted the symbol; a green club. _Wrong key, but I’ll hang it to it anyway._ She placed the key in her satchel and returned to her friends.

Crystal and the others then went to the left of the area and went straight forward hoping to find three more keys to the cages themselves. She feeds Pidge another treat before sending her into the sky to seek out either a cage or another key. As soon as Pidge took to the sky, she and her Shleep friend made their way to a clearing with three paths to take. Crystal knew which one to go through right away.

“The right side is a dead end,” she told Cumula. “I’m willing to bet another one of those vultures is there guarding another key we need for those cages. Let’s find out, shall we?” Cumula nodded and the two ran to the right of the maze. It took them only one minute to make to the end, and to their surprise, only a key remained on the ground.

Crystal wasn’t easily fooled however, as she is aware of the fact that Nightmarens are known to ambush their prey. She brandished her Millennium Rod expecting an enemy to appear at any moment. She proceeded toward the key with caution and determination. As she did, her eyes began to glow bright blue. She saw a vision of the exact Nightmaren she had described flying towards her the duo while flapping its’ wings. As the vision ends, she heard the distinct noise of a flapping wings. A vulture is approaching her location.

“Cumula, take cover!” she ordered her Shleep friend. Cumula bleated in response and went to hide behind one of the turquoise statues. She looked up to the sky to the left just in time to see a green vulture dive bomb and grab the key. As it and the rider taunted her by circling her once, it landed a few feet in front of her, the key still in the vulture’s beak. The large bird moved its’ head to the rider, who reached over to the beak and retrieved the key. It then readied the vulture for battle with Crystal raising her Millennium Rod forward, thus beginning another battle with one of Reala’s guards.

Crystal began with an ice spell this time, in this case, a Blizzard. She intended to blind the vulture and rider with it, but they managed to fly through the air and circle her before dive-bombing her, causing some damage to her. She then tried a thunder spell called Thor’s Hammer, the thunder and lightning equivalent to Frozen Road. Electricity flowed through the area as it discharged right into the vulture and its’ rider. This dazed them as she then activated Clashing Sabre and started to attack it with all her might. After a series of sword swings on Crystal’s part, the vulture and rider duo recovered and continued to fly around her as the rider taunted her with a menacing laugh.

After circling her much like the other one had done, it pecked her several times, forcing her to put up a barrier to lesson some of the blows. After taking flight into the air, the vulture readied itself for another dive-bomb. Crystal was much faster however as she activated the earth spell Smokey Quartz Tomb, pinning both the rider and vulture in place. She then summoned Diamond Sabre, the earth equivalent to the other Sabre attacks, and began a series of sword slashes against the duo. She continued to attack the duo with these slashes until they were free from their smokey quartz prison allowing them to take flight once again.

The rider commanded the vulture to fly higher and circle the girl before dive-bombing her, causing some damage. Crystal healed herself from the blow, and she then activated a new earth spell called Amethyst Thorn, the earth equivalent to Rose Thorn. She also used Diamond Dust Fury for good measure, causing the vulture and rider to be buffeted by the storm of amethyst shards and snow clusters. The rider and vulture became dazed as Crystal then summoned Arctic Sabre one more time. She then slashed the vulture and rider, and after series of sword swings, she finished him off with an icy riposte. Crystal was victorious.

“Sheesh, these vultures are tough,” she told Cumula. “And this is just the second one so far.” She then frisked the rider for the key he was carrying and found it on his belt loop. She retrieved it and examined the symbol; a blue spade.

“There’s my suit from Wonderland Academy,” she explained to Cumula. She placed the key in her bag for safekeeping, and looked up just in time to see Pidge carrying something in her beak. It was another key for the cages. The Hollow approached her and cawed with the key in her beak.

“Good girl, Pidge,” she patted her Hollow friend. She retrieved it and examined it further. The key was a red diamond.

“That’s my sister, Jessica’s suit,” she told her. “Either that, or it’s a reference to Nights’ red rhombus.” She put then took out the rest of the keys that she had collected so far. She had four in total, each with a different symbol.

“All right, we have one more key to find,” she told her allies. “Let’s rescue the Nightopians in the Spade Cage first. Then we’ll get said key. I hope the little guys in there are all right.” She put the keys back in her bag, and the trio went in the general direction of the cage Crystal was talking about. She ran in the same path she had taken to get to other areas of the maze, and aside from a hoard battle of Nightmarens, they managed to make it to their destination unscathed. The Nightopians trapped inside all greeted her in joy and happiness as she brandished the key that matched the symbol on the cage.

“Sorry for the wait, everyone,” she told them while placing the key in the lock. The cage was destroyed just like the last one, and the Nightopians all thanked her in their language. They then took off in multiple directions soon after.

“That’s two cages down so far,” she spoke aloud. “Now we’ve got four cages left.” Crystal, Cumula, and Pidge all went in the same direction together in the same path as last time. After a few hoard battles along the way, they managed to find another cage. Crystal’s knowledge of the maze proved useful as she used to play in the garden all the time as a child. She approached the cage filled with grateful angelic creatures, and made note of the symbol. It was a red diamond.

“Stand back, little ones,” she told them. “I’ll let you out in a jiffy.” She fetched the matching key from her bag, and was about to unlock the cage when she heard another vulture approaching her. The Nightopians trapped in the cage started to panic and babbled at her to look behind her. She looked up just in time to see a blue vulture about to dive-bomb her from above her. She managed to cartwheel herself out of the way right on time before the vulture managed to get her. The Nightopians screamed and babbled in terror as Crystal looked up at her flying foe in shock and awe, and the vulture and rider looked back at her, with the latter giving her a menacing grin while laughing maniacally.

 _What the?! Where did he come from?!_ Cumula and Pidge, terrified of the guard, hid behind a nearby statue to avoid the foes’ gaze. The rider commanded the vulture to turn its body around, and he showed her the final key, waving it around as if taunting her. He put the key on the belt loop as Crystal put the key she had back in her bag, and brandished her Millennium Rod once more. The battle against the final vulture has just begun.

Crystal began attacking with an electrified whip once again, just like the first vulture, but was met with the duo flying in a circle around her, and dive-bombing her, causing some damage in the process. She then used an ice spell known as Deep Freeze, which allowed her to summon an icy wind from her Millennium Rod, freezing the vulture and rider in place. She then activated Arctic Sabre once again, and started attack the duo in a flurry of slashes. Just after an icy riposte, her flying foe is defrosted rather quickly and began to peck at her, some of them she dodged with ease, while others she took damage from.

Crystal quickly healed as well as raised a shield around herself as the vulture then flew higher, ready to dive-bomb again. She took this as an opportunity to counterattack. As soon as the vulture was about to strike, she activated her signature Lightning Rod to zap the duo out of the sky. It only served to anger them as the duo took off into the air once more.

She activated another spell, Zeus’ Fury, causing a large thunderstorm to appear on the battlefield. A series of lightning sparks filled the sky as the vulture and rider dodged almost every single one of them with some grazing the bird’s wings. The rider then commanded the vulture to fly towards the background, and charge right at her damaging her barrier in the process. The vulture then attacked with a flurry of pecks at her barrier, with some causing damage, and some missing her by an inch.

Crystal, being the creative young Magician of Light that she is, activated the wind spell Tornado, surrounding herself in a turbulent wind. She then jumped upwards, allowing herself to be propelled straight into the air in hopes of giving the vulture and rider duo a taste of their own medicine. After witnessing her move in shock an awe, Crystal positioned herself right above them, and encased herself in a diamond like barrier before spinning like a mid-air top. She plummeted right into the duo, causing them, and Crystal, to crash into the ground, breaking her barrier in the process.

Crystal jumped right off the duo and activated her Clashing Sabre once more. She attacked the duo with the same series of slashes as before. This time however, she gave them a resound electrified riposte. Crystal was at last victorious.

As the duo laid there as if they were burnt, she checked the rider’s belt for the key as the Nightopians cheered gleefully at their savior. It was the final key that he was taunting her with. She made note of the symbol; a purple heart. _And here I thought only certain soldiers are given this kind of award._ She put the key in her bag as Cumula and Pidge rejoined her, and looked over at the waiting Nightopians.

“Sorry for the interruption,” she told them with a smile. “Now let’s get you out properly this time.” She then walked over to the cage with the red diamond at the top. After fetching the red diamond key from her bag, she unlocked it causing the cage’s destruction. The Nightopians all fled out of their prison with a series of giggles and screams of happiness as they fled in every direction. Some of them stopped to say thank you to her before leaving themselves.

“We’re only half-way done, you two,” she told Cumula and Pidge. They bleated and cawed in agreement as she added, “Let’s go find the rest of the cages. Once the little guys are free, we’ll meet up with Rhodonite back at the entrance.” Pidge flew onto Crystal’s left shoulder while Cumula flew into her waiting arms. The trio then went to the next cage together, going to the right of the clearing. Crystal used her knowledge of the maze once more, turning left, right, and left once more. After a battle with yet another Nightmaren hoard, they managed to find a cage. The Nightopians greeted the trio as Cumula jumped from Crystal’s arms. This gave her free hands as she searched her bag, finding the correct key in the process.

“I think this will do the trick,” she spoke aloud as she placed the key in the lock and turned it. The cage met the same fate as the three before it, and the Nightopians all cheered as they fled in every direction. One of the Nightopians stayed behind to be with Crystal and her Nightmaren allies. It babbled a bit to her as if it was trying to tell her something.

“You want to lead me to the purple heart cage?” she asked the little one. It nodded while babbling excitedly. She added, “All right little fella. Lead the way.” The Nightopian nodded and flew to the left of the clearing, allowing the young princess and her Nightmaren allies to follow it to the cage’s location. It took a few minutes of going straight for it to come across a fork in the road. Crystal looked to the Nightopian who went to the path on the right. She, Cumula, and Pidge all followed the little fairy creature. It went straight for a few more seconds before turning left on another fork in the road.

 _This is far easier than I thought for the last two,_ Crystal thought. _Hopefully they know what they’re doing._ She continued to follow the Nightopian to the cage as it went to the left this time. As they went to the left, a Nightmaren hoard appeared causing the Nightopian to run away and hide in a nearby bush. Crystal, Cumula, and Pidge all worked together to face the hoard. She used a combination of wind, earth, and celestial magic, while Cumula bowl over her enemies with her cloud-like body, and Pidge used a series of fireballs against her kin. They quickly dispatched the hoard with ease, and the Nightopian came out of hiding soon after.

They continued to follow the angel until they find what they were looking for. There was the cage that it was telling them about, and it had the purple heart as its’ symbol just as promised. Its brethren all babbled in excitement as Crystal grabbed the correct key from her bag.

“Here you go, little guys,” she told them as she unlocked the cage. It disappeared as the Nightopians trapped within all piled out together. Some of them thanked her as they went out into the maze.

“One last cage,” she told her allies. “And it’s right next to the entrance. Come on.” She and the others all ran in the direction of the final cage. The Nightopian led them all on the correct paths in order to reach said cage. As it continued to lead them, another Nightmaren hoard ambushed the quartet. Once again, the Nightopian hid itself away in the bush while Crystal and her Nightmaren friends handled the hoard together. After a repeat of the powers bestowed upon them, the fight was immediately over. The Nightopian resumed leading them to the cage. They managed to make it to their destination after some time, and the Nightopians in the cage all greeted the quartet.

“Hey guys,” Crystal greeted them in return. “I saved your group for last. Thank you for your patience.” She fetched the final key, a white crescent moon, and unlocked the final cage. With its’ destruction comes the end of the first part of the trial, and the release of the last batch of Nightopians. Crystal and her allies all celebrated with her hugging her Nightmaren friends as they nuzzled the young girl’s cheeks. They exited the maze to find a shocked and amazed Rhodonite next to the entrance.

“No way! You did that so fast!” he said rather shocked and excited. He then gave an embarrassed look as he closed his eyes and added, “Well, I guess I need to make the next one I do a bit harder for the other new recruits, huh? This is my first time making a trial.” He chuckled a bit in embarrassment as he said the last part while rubbing the back of his head. Crystal then fetched the mirror Owl and Hikaru gave her from her bag and made note of the image appearing in the mirror itself. She made a slightly blank look at Rhodonite.

“Aren’t you forgetting something soldier?” she asked as she turned to mirror around to show him the image. He looked at the image on the mirror as it showed what appeared to be a spiked ball with a dog-like head on it as well as the legs of a dog. The head had a mane that looked more like a mullet.

“Oh yeah,” he spoke with realization. “You’re supposed to fight the 2nd Level now.” As Crystal put the mirror away in her satchel, he added, “Here,” while floating to a box next to him and fetching a large, crystalline bone from it. As he went back to Crystal and plopped it into her waiting arms, he added, “Take this big hulking bone to the doghouse at the end of the garden.” Crystal checked the weight a little and made note of it.

“It’s pretty lightweight for a crystalline bone,” she noted. “Thank you Rhodonite. I’ll see you in a bit.” She, Cumula, and Pidge all went back into the maze together with the former keeping the large bone steady as she ran. Little did they all know that trouble was about to brew once more.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It looks like Crystal will be facing her first Trial Nightmaren. We'll find out in the next chapter. The length of this chapter is due to this one being a puzzle, and therefore needed long explanation. In any case, I hope you all enjoy this one.


	12. Cerberus' Rampage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal has just finished the first part of her trial and must now conquer her fear of losing her home. Will she face victory, or will she face her demise?

Somewhere far away from the trial site, a red and black vortex appeared on the ground near the door to the Dream Gate. Reala emerged from it with a smile on his face. He looked above him to see one of his guards, the one riding the magenta vulture, staggering a bit from the pain he endured from Crystal’s attack. Reala examined his guard a bit further and shook his head in disappointment.

“Had a bit of trouble with the visitor, did we?” he inquired with slight annoyance. The rider looked at his superior with a shameful expression.

“Aye, she’s a tough one, your lordship,” the rider spoke. “She beat me and my colleagues to a pulp.” He raised his hand to his superior as Reala picked him up by his back.

“Where is she now?” he asked.

“She’s in the Quartz Palace Maze,” replied the rider. “She’s about to fight her first Trial Nightmaren.” Reala looked over at the Quartz Palace in the distance and smiled. _Foolish girl,_ he thought. _Here I thought you’d be much wiser than our last encounter._

“You and your allies may go rest for a while,” he told him while placing his minion back on the vulture. “I am tasked with summoning the beast in the labyrinth, and I will do so. I will return once the task is complete.” The rider nodded as Reala took off in the direction of the Quartz Palace. The vulture took off in the direction of Nightmare to heal its’ wounds. As Reala continued to venture forth to the maze, the good 3rd Level Nightmarens all saw him and cowered in fear while the Nightopians did the same as he flew past.

 _I knew this girl would be just as powerful as Master Wizeman described,_ he thought to himself. _I appreciate challenging prey, especially one of her_ _caliber. Well, my dear, let’s see how you handle your first Trial by Nightmare._ He grinned as that thought crossed his mind. As he chuckled, he continued his venture to the maze.

Meanwhile, Crystal and her allies are navigating their way through the maze to reach the very end. Fortunately, she knew of a few short cuts to the end, even while she carried the crystalline bone in her arms. As she made a few turns to a certain path, Cumula bleated a little while nudging her. She looked over to her Shleep friend who pointed at what appeared to be an amethyst quartz on the ground. Using telekinesis, she picked up the quartz and examined it.

“That’s Jessica’s birthstone,” she told her allies. “I guess she and I share the same dream world. The problem is, that notion is pretty dang rare.” She used her telekinesis to put the amethyst in her bag and they soldiered on. She made the correct turns until she came across the end of the maze. She and her allies looked over at a super-sized dog kennel with chains surrounding the roof. She looked up at the sign above the opening and shuddered.

“Cerberus,” she noted with a grimace. “How appropriate.” She then walked up to it, and used her telekinesis again to carry the bone to the front of her body. She thought it over before using her high velocity sparks to slice the bone into three segments. She then placed them neatly on the ground vertically. Soon after, she retrieved what appeared to be a potion disguised as an old fashioned perfume bottle and sprayed the segments one at a time. _This potion makes it appear as the living beings’ favorite scent, even a Nightmaren’s,_ she thought. _I doubt anyone can resist this._

She then went to a nearby tanzanite boulder along with Cumula and Pidge, and after she hid herself away while putting away the perfume bottle, she felt a jolt of dread from behind her. She checked her foresight, and discovered a frightening image. Reala, although he was in shadow in Crystal’s vision, was just seen overhead flying towards the maze. Her vision ends with her scowling at the situation. She knew she had to warn Rhodonite. She retrieved her whisper crystal from her bag and activated it.

“Rhodonite,” she called into it hoping to get an answer. He was still standing next to the entrance when he noticed his whisper crystal flashing. He retrieved it and answered, “What’s up, future champion?” He was hoping for a successful trial, but Crystal’s tone said otherwise.

“You better take cover somewhere,” she warned him. “Reala is on the move.” Rhodonite gasped and shut off his whisper crystal before hiding in a nearby tower. He wasn’t about to be caught working for the resistance, nor give away his allies’ position. As soon as he hid himself away, along with a few Nightopians and 3rd Level Nightmarens, Reala flew to the ground, crossing his arms as he did. He looked around for Crystal, but can see that she was no where near the entry way. His eyes glowed a menacing red hue as he looked straight forward, sensing her Ideya in the distance. He grinned as he took off in her direction, flying above the maze as he did.

Crystal, having just warned Rhodonite of Reala coming in their direction, was still hiding behind the large tanzanite boulder. She was examining the entrance of the dog kennel, a little annoyed that her perfume trick had failed. _Is that thing still in there? I gotta make sure I’m on the right track._

She took out her mirror and used the light of the Nightopian sun to shine a light into the dark kennel. As she moved the light around, she can see what appeared to be three huge chained balls attached to each other, two of which were covered with spikes and had the head and legs of a dog. They also had a mullet-like mane on each head. The one on the left was red, and the one on the right was blue. Crystal knew the legend of Cerberus all too well, and looked at the third, non-spiked ball in the middle. She watched as it formed itself into the same design, though the legs were absent and it was transparently yellow.

 _That dog in the middle is obviously the leader of the pack,_ she thought. _The question is, how do I get their attention?_ As she pondered this, Reala was not too far behind. He was at least fifty feet away from her and stopped to hear for her. He can tell that she was a bit annoyed by the three-headed dog’s apparent lack of interest.

“Come on out you three-headed monster,” she spoke aloud as if goading it out of hiding. It was distant, but he lit up with surprise once he heard the phrase.

“The hell-hound,” he spoke aloud, having deduced what she meant. He grinned as he clenched his fist in triumph while adding, “Perfect!” He then took off toward her direction hoping to catch her in the act. Crystal in the meantime was having trouble trying to garner Cerberus’ attention. Her Nightmaren allies were quivering with fear as she examined the dog kennel more closely. She took a moment to realize what they may be based on in her real life experiences.

 _Those rowdy dogs from the past used to terrorize me when I was a kid,_ she thought. _Maybe they’re based on them. Of course, they can also represent the downfall of Ophelia, as it met its’ untimely demise during the Dark Empire’s invasion. I’ll bet it’s the latter actually._ Seemingly out of options, Crystal readied herself while she put her mirror away.

At that moment, Reala had just found the girl, and was about twenty feet away from her as he stopped about three feet off the ground. As he was about to approach her, she let out a howl at the Cerberus, causing a brief surprised look to appear before he chuckled at her tactic. Her howl sounded like a pup trying to garner the attention of its’ mother wolf. As soon as she howled, Cerberus’ heads howled back almost in unison as if being a bit playful with the girl. Satisfied with it’s acknowledgement, she went to howl again before Reala interrupted her with a playful, yet patronizing tone.

“You’ll not get anywhere stirring up Cerberus like that,” he called out to her. She looked around for a moment as he said this with her allies, Cumula and Pidge, both huddled together in fear upon hearing his voice. As she tried to make out where he was located, he landed at least six feet right behind her. She turned around to see him with his arms crossed, and she glared at him while holding her Millennium Rod tightly, but not pulling it from the holster just yet.

“You shouldn’t masquerade during a trial, my dear,” he told her playfully while shaking his head with a jesting smile.

“You’re one to talk,” she retorted while tapping her face with her free hand. Reala looked at his mask while brushing his hand on it.

“Ah, my persona,” he replied. He closed his eyes and grinned slyly with his arms to side, while adding “Of course.” He approached her as she backed up slightly, tightening her grip on her ancient weapon.

“I should be thanking you for retrieving it for me,” he told her. “I wouldn’t have proven my loyalty to Master Wizeman without it.” Crystal wasn’t falling for his act as she knew his species all too well.

“Look,” she told him sternly. “If you’re here to harass me about Nights, you can forget it. He made the right call cutting ties with his and your creator, and if I were you, I’d respect his decision and move on.” Reala didn’t falter with his silver tongue despite her warning.

“I didn’t come here to harass,” he replied while approaching her. He bowed to her almost in a mocking way as he grinned with his eyes half-way shut, adding, “I came here to reward.” He flew past Crystal and her hiding spot as she too emerged from there to observe him further. She kept her eyes on him as he floated right in front of the dog kennel’s entry way.

“Cerberus!” he called out to the monster inside. “Come see what the visitor brought for you!” He bowed slightly as he said the last part. The first two dogs sniffed the air a bit before shaking themselves, and ambling out one at a time, their glowing manes flowing in the wind. Crystal can tell how big they were compared to her and Reala, but she stood her ground regardless. She placed her hand on the flat end of the tanzanite boulder as she watched him pet one of the dog heads. He floated backward letting them take their respective portions of the bone she had left out for them. _First a deranged panther and now a three-headed chain dog,_ she thought while rubbing her thumb on the top part of the Millennium Rod.

“Fought Clawz, have you?” Reala asked her as if he read her mind. Crystal became flustered upon hearing him say this and scowled at him shouting, “Stay out of my head!” Reala chuckled a bit at her before replying, “Careful with your thoughts, visitor. Some minds are an open book to our kind.” He looked back at Cerberus as the first two heads have eaten their fill, and the third one, the middle of the trio had appeared before her once again, and grabbed its’ portion, tossing it in the air before swallowing it whole. Crystal gave an impressed whistle upon seeing such a trick.

The Cerberus trio looked up at her and nodded in respect for her, knowing the result of their encounter. They reared their heads together in unison before howling at the sky above in a harmonious sound that resonated throughout the area. As they did this, their aura began to cover the land around them, Reala, and Crystal. The aura quickly enveloped the area, including the boulder Crystal and her allies were standing next to, causing her to jump and gasp a bit in shock as she stepped backward a few inches. Reala took notice of her brief shock and grinned, as if he knew she would be fearful of the outcome, even slightly.

She watched as the arena formed around her. The boulder was replaced with a nearby Greek pillar, along with several forming in the same manner. She looked to her Nightmaren pets as a cage formed around the duo, causing them to bleat and caw respectively in panic. She looked around as torches formed and what appeared to be a large, spiked cage formed over the battlefield. Crystal knew for sure that she was trapped. Reala on the other hand had somehow moved back away just a few feet into the air as this happened.

“Oh, I do wish I could watch the battle unfold,” he told her as she looked back at him. He then approached her as she stepped back a few inches before he caught up with her, adding as he ran his bone-white fingers on her chin, as if he were enticing her, “but I’m afraid I’ve got important business to attend to.” He chuckled as he added, “Ta ta!” He flew toward the ceiling and she looked in his direction as he formed a vortex in the air and flew through it, leaving her alone with the hell-hound. She scowled a bit at him as he did so. _Thanks for feeding me to the hounds,_ she thought cynically.

“Here dogie!” she called out to Cerberus while waving her ancient scepter in ‘come here’ motion. The three-headed dog looked at her with hunger in their eyes as they roared in unison, engaging her in battle. Crystal braced herself, Ideya of Courage alight with determination. And thus, the battle begins.

Cerberus is shown with the first two heads barking a bit at each other before howling. They repeat the same gesture before howling again. The ball in between them then forms into the third head as it growls a bit at the screen. Crystal began running around the battlefield in hopes of coming up with a strategy to defeat the nightmarish beast. Cerberus on the other hand was right a bit confused as to where she was.

 _That ball attached to the chain must be important,_ she thought to herself. _If I can use it to knock the red and blue heads together, like a pair of billiards balls, they may be dazed for a bit. Let’s hope it’s long enough for me to wail on their leader before it wakes up._ She thought of one idea that might work to her advantage; the pillars surrounding the battlefield. _That’s it! If I can lure these guys to crash into the pillars, the ball in the middle will get stuck, and the red and blue dogs will bang right into each other knocking them out! There’s my ticket to victory!_ She then activated the spell Sun Spell to lure in Cerberus. Attracted by the light, the foul beast charged after her. Armed to the teeth with magic, the hounds both attacked as she put up a shield to defend herself.

Thankfully, Crystal was much faster than them as she dodged out of the way just in time for the hounds’ leader to collide with the pillar, causing the exact reaction she was looking for. With both red and blue hounds unconscious, she activated the spell Volcanic Big Bang, causing a huge eruption to appear beneath the two hounds, causing large damage in the process. She then used the spell Ice Shard, allowing her to fire a series of icicles to attack the middle of the trio. The middle one woke up and the other two followed suit.

Crystal called out to them as they awoke from their daze, and they pursued her, their respective aura’s glowing as if they were enraged. She activated a spell called Doppelganger to keep them busy with fighting doubles of herself. She then got into position near another pillar and called out to the hell-hound. Cerberus came charging at her as she quickly dodged them by sliding underneath the huge beast. What she did not expect, however, was that they have caught on to her scheme. They evade the pillar this time. As soon as they did, Cerberus lunged at her and rammed into her, causing some nasty damage to her health. To ensure she didn’t pull the same trick, they howled so loudly that the remaining pillars were destroyed.

 _Yikes! They’re a lot smarter than I thought! I’ve got to think of a different strategy! Think, Crystal, think!_ As she pondered for a moment while running away from Cerberus, she felt a sneeze coming on. _Oh Ra, not now!_ She tried to suppress it, but it was too late. She sneezed, causing a distorted pillar to appear as the hounds came charging at her. It caught the trio, and caused the first two hounds to bang together, rendering them unconscious. Crystal looked up in surprise, but this was quickly met with slight elation as she realized what she can do.

 _Way to bring out a windfall situation! Forget using the pillars,_ she thought. _I can make my own. Illusion Magic, you beautiful genius._ She activated the spell Luminous Dispersion, causing some damage to the Cerberus trio. She then used Galactic Cartwheel, a move that allowed her to do the exact gymnastic stunt while imbued with the cosmos. She slammed right into the third head just after it had formed. Although she sustained some damage for doing so, she managed to push the beast back before it awoke to attack her once more.

Crystal called out to it as it began to run in her direction, and she readied herself as she charged her trap. As soon as Cerberus was close enough, she sprang it by summoning another distorted pillar, catching the trio in the needle. This causes the same reaction as the first two times. Crystal, taking advantage of the situation, she used the spell Plasma Pulse, causing a massive discharge of electricity to surge throughout the battlefield, causing some damage to all three heads of the dog. She activated another one, a cosmos spell this time, known as Etoile Magica, a spell that summons a kaleidoscope of stars to barrage the middle head with. Cerberus awoke from her powers attack it, and angry that it was being tricked, charged straight at her while she was charging an illusion spell, and knocking her on her butt.

Crystal got up and ran far away from the dog to try and charge her trap again. However, the dog caught on, and rammed her again, damaging her in the process. She tried to activate Distortion Needle once more as it came after her, but Cerberus was a bit too quick this time. It rammed into her, knocking her backward into the side of the field.

Meanwhile, as the battle raged on, Nights had just exited his tent, having fully healed from Wizeman’s example of his power. He looked around to see that everyone was in a state of panic, especially the Nightopians who were all babbling incoherently. He looked over at the crystal ball beside his tent and got a shocking surprise. Crystal was having trouble with Cerberus and was unable to trick the hound any further. Nights sees this and produced a silent gasp as he realized that she needed help and fast. He flew straight into the air, and made a quick stop at the research area to snatch one of the masks on display on one of the shelves. It was the one in the shape of a rocket. He quickly flew to the entrance with Hikaru taking notice and calling out to him.

“Nights, where are you going?!” she called out worriedly. “Nights?! Nights!” He didn’t bother to answer as he was in too much of a hurry to get to Crystal on time. As she followed him, he exited the resistance base, circled the air to create a vortex, and dove right in. Hikaru reached out her hand as the portal closed before she could even make it. She place her hand on her chest while giving a weary sigh.

“Be careful,” she told him with hope in her heart. She then returned to the base to inform her colleagues about the event. Little did she know that what Nights had in store was more than just helping a friend. He was helping someone who was like a younger sister to him.

Meanwhile, Cumula and Pidge are both huddled together in the same cage as they witnessed their master being thrown against the wall of the caged arena. Crystal plummeted to the ground while still holding the Millennium Rod, landing front side first. She struggled to get up as she looked up at Cerberus with a determined look. As the beast came charging toward the girl, she aimed her Millennium Rod toward it, ready to use another ranging spell.

Suddenly, a purple vortex appeared above the two, and a rocket came bursting through, slamming itself right into Cerberus’ middle chain ball. This caused the beast to be flung backward as the first two dog heads collided with one another, causing them to be dazed for a bit. Crystal was in shock when this happened. _Where did that rocket come from?_ She didn’t have to think for very long, as the rocket itself then went straight to where the vortex was before transforming back into its’ true form; a certain purple jester wearing a rocket-shaped mask. She immediately recognized the figure.

“Nights?!” she exclaimed in surprise. Nights looked to her while lifting the mask off and winking at her. He then removed it and placed in his vest pocket for safekeeping. He flew to her as she struggled to get up, and held out his gloved hand.

“Take my hand,” he told her through telepathy. Crystal struggled a bit to her feet while placing the Millennium Rod back in its’ holster. She grunted a bit from the pain, but looked to him regardless.

“You think it’s a good time to dualize mid-battle?” she asked him, her breath ragged from the damage she received.

“You can’t fight these Nightmarens alone,” Nights spoke through telepathy. “Besides, humans to them are to easy to figure out. Do you still trust me?” Crystal realized what he meant and knew that she was out of options. She looked to Cerberus who was quickly recovering from the blow, before looking back to Nights.

“Okay,” she told him. She took his hand and the two are engulfed in a bright light once more. Crystal is dualized with Nights once again as the battle resumed. This time, Nights was in full control of the situation, and he knew how to defeat Cerberus all too well.

“All right, let’s take this hound down,” she told Nights. She noticed that the Cerberus was acting rather strange, almost as if it was perplexed in some way.

“Hey, the Cerberus is confused,” she told her flying friend. Nights gave a wink as she said this. This didn’t take long for her to figure it out.

“Oh, you sly court jester,” she said while smiling. “You gave me Psycho Block, didn’t you?” Nights smiled mischievously as she giggled. Nights used telepathy again to explain while winking, “We Nightmarens can’t read each other unless we’re the same rank. Nightmare 101, always be as unpredictable as possible.”

“That explains it,” Crystal replied with a smile. “Well then, let’s use this to our advantage!” Nights and Crystal began to fly around the arena with Cerberus noticing them and running after them in full force. They dodged them as they were about to ram into the duo. After getting far enough away, the yellow dog receded, and Nights, upon seeing this, used the rocket mask to change back into a rocket. He aimed at the middle and boosted forward so fast that he and his partner were near the golden chain ball in a manner of seconds. He rammed into it causing the three-headed hound to be pushed backward.

Nights and Crystal then flew back away a bit before starting up the rocket form again. The yellow head had reared itself, and they waited for it to fall asleep. It took at least five seconds for this to occur. Seeing an opportunity, Nights turned back into a rocket, and rammed into the middle of Cerberus’ chain once again, causing it to go backward once more. Crystal was amazed at the precision he took to defeat the menacing hound.

“Great job partner!” she complimented. “We just need to hit them one more time!” She was keeping track of Cerberus’ health bar, which was now red. The duo waited as the three hounds charged at them. They turned themselves into a rocket just in case, and waited. As the third head disappeared mid-charge, Nights took this to his advantage, and charged at the hound. He rammed right into the chained ball and hurled the three dogs into the wall in one final blow. They watched as the hell-hound exploded into a series of chain-links and bursts of red, blue, and yellow lights. Crystal and Nights were both victorious.

Nights and Crystal had just flown into the air to watch Cerberus look up at the duo after struggling to get up. They looked up at Crystal and nodded to her, acknowledging her bravery. They howled at her one last time and went back into the dog kennel, causing their Nightmare to vanish and return to the beautiful garden area it once was. The dog kennel also disappeared as they entered it together.

“Well, I guess I overcame my fear of losing my home,” Crystal told Nights. He nodded in agreement. They then flew down to the ground to survey the damage as they separated once more. She looked around while Nights stood guard over her. As she looked at what the Cerberus had done, she was satisfied that they didn’t do any harm to the garden or the palace. She then looked over at where the kennel was and noticed a crystalline flower.

“What’s this?” she inquired. She went up to it and picked it up, adding, “A crystalline rosemary?” Nights looked over at what she was holding and was surprised to see it in her hand. He then used telepathy again, “That’s a memory!”

“A memory?” she asked him. “Who does it belong to?” She then realized something from earlier. 

“Could it be one of my memories?” she asked herself. “Prisma said…” Her voice trailed off as soon as she mentioned Prisma. She goes through a flashback.

“Only the more pleasant memories of Nightopia remain,” Prisma explained. “However, the traumatic events that lead to your temporary disbarment from this world were stripped from your memories for your protection.” The flashback ended with Crystal looking at the crystal rosemary once again. Nights was surprised that she had said Prisma’s name. He hugged her while telepathically saying, “She died protecting you. She was only trying to help.” Crystal realized what he meant and placed her hand over her hand somberly.

“Well, at least her sacrifice was not in vain,” she told him. “She made the right call, wiping my memories clean to save my sanity. I only hope that whoever killed her for it is brought to justice.” She looked at the crystal rosemary one more time before placing it in her bag.

“Let’s head back to HQ,” she told Nights. “The commander and Owl are probably worried sick about us.” She and Nights then took off in the direction of the maze’s entrance, hoping to meet up with Rhodonite. Crystal, despite feeling a bit uneasy at Prisma’s sacrifice, was now more determined to retrieve what she had lost. Her only hope now was to find out what happened to her that fateful day twelve years ago.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cerberus is our first returning Nightmaren Boss from Journey of Dreams. In that game, he represented as Will's boss for Delight City in which the theme is growing up, and him representing death in general. In Crystal's case for Cerberus, it represents her fear of losing her home just as how she and her people lost their country of Ophelia. I hope this information helps with why I had Cerberus as one of her bosses.


	13. A Shocking Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Cerberus, Crystal and company go back to the resistance headquarters to see what the mysterious object, known as a Memory, is holding within its blossoms. Little did she know that she is in for a disturbing surprise.

In the Nightmare Realm, Harley and a few fellow 1st Level Nightmarens were busy training under the supervision of some of their superiors. One of them was what appeared to be an androgynous-looking female with silver-gray hair, lighter gray skin, and gray eyes. She wore a silver jumpsuit with a darker gray, silver-gray-lined chest collar with a black lightning design below her non-existent neck, a gray collar under a white neck cuff, a pair of white shoulder cuffs, a blue, diamond-shaped gem resting in the chest collar, dark gray, silver-gray-lined hip pads with the same dark lightning design, a pair of dark gray, silver-gray-lined boots with the same lightning design, a pair of arm-warmers matching her boots and hip pads, and a silver mask with black eye-liner near the eye holes, a blue hexagonal gem in the middle, and a circular one of the same color on the Fleur-de-Lis-like tip of the mask. She and another Nightmaren were watching the recruits, as well as some veterans, fly in a lap one at a time to see who can complete the course faster. One of the veterans was Harley who was faster than anyone on her team, and she managed to get to the end with ease. She spun like a drill and stopped right in front of the gray Nightmaren giving a bow as she did.

“Not bad, Harley,” she told her, her voice sounding like a sultry woman. “You could use some help with battle strategy and courage though.”

“I’ll do my best for next time, Miss Pandora,” Harley replied. As she took off, a red and black vortex appeared above them, causing both the veterans and the recruits to look up. Reala floated down from the vortex while smiling with his arms crossed looking at Pandora. She looked up at him with a loving smile.

“Hi, honey,” she greeted him as he approached her while the vortex vanished. “How’s the hell-hound?”

“Cerberus has sadly lost the battle against the girl and Nights,” he reported while shaking his head in disappointment. This was quickly replaced with a smile as he added, “But given the many trials she must undergo, there is always a new Nightmaren to replace them while they recover.” Pandora wrapped her arms around him as he took her in his arms. Reala then added, “Despite this, the plan is going well so far.” The other Nightmaren watching the recruits looked over at the duo and smiled. He had white skin like Reala, as well as Heterochromia, with one eye blue and the other green, and to mirror this, he wore a mask with one side green and the other side blue. The mask had a blue zigzag on the green portion and a green zigzag on the blue portion. It even had a yellow square-shaped gem in the middle to separate the colors. He was wearing blue and green with his tassels looking similar to zigzags. His attire consisted of a blue sleeveless shirt with green, thin, horizontal, zigzag stripes, a green collar, a pair of green shorts with a zigzag pattern at the cuffs, a pair of blue leggings with a green stripe down the middle, and a pair of blue and green ankle boots.

“That’s a bummer about what happened to that mad old dog,” he told the duo. “I’m not having much luck finding the resistance base myself.” He pouted a little upon saying this while adding, “My stupid sister is one of those traitors.” Reala and Pandora took notice of their colleague and approached him, the latter patting him on the back for reassurance. Reala showed slight sympathy to him as well as he patted him on the head.

“Just keep searching Dubaious,” he told him. “You’ll find it eventually. Especially your sister Mippa.” Dubaious looked up at Reala with a bit of surprise quickly replacing it with a smile of his own.

“Thanks for the pep talk, Reala,” he replied. He dusted himself as one of Wizeman’s hands appeared in a cloud of black smoke above the practice arena with both the new recruits and veterans looking up at him; some out of fear, some out of curiosity, and many others in admiration. Reala grinned while the other two smiled as the hand approached him.

“Reala,” said Wizeman. “There is no need to worry about the girl’s victory over Cerberus. We now know the potential of her power.” Reala and the others bowed to Wizeman’s hand while smiling.

“Thank you, Master,” he told him. “Although she struggled a bit with that mad dog, I had a feeling that she would prevail.” He frowned a bit before adding, “However, there is something else that you must know.” Wizeman is heard thinking as he said this.

“An odd object was left behind after Cerberus retreated to Nightmare,” Reala added. “I wish to examine the girl further for an answer to its’ origin.” The hand tilted slightly as if it was nodding at Reala’s request.

“Do as you must, Reala,” he told him. “I will expect you to report to me about your findings when the next we meet.”

“As you wish, Master,” Reala responded while smiling. Wizeman’s hand disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Dubaious and Pandora smiled after Wizeman’s hand left the area. The former turned to Reala with the same smile.

“Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you,” he told him.

“Thank you, Dubaious,” Reala replied. He clenched his fist in triumph while adding, “I promise that this will be one challenge that we’ll never forget.” He chuckled before looking to a nearby pillar of smokey quartz. On the image were Crystal, Rhodonite, and Nights going back to the Dream Gate.

Meanwhile, the trio, along with Cumula and Pidge, had just entered the Dream Gate and looked around a bit to see if they were being followed. They weren’t, much to their relief. Nights took note of the base’s door and approached it opening the door in the process. Crystal entered at his request and he and Rhodonite followed suit. They managed to get in just in time.

“Hey everybody, we’re back!” she called out. She noticed as she was walking around the area alongside a floating Nights and Rhodonite that almost everyone was absent. She called out to them, “Owl? Commander?” She stopped and spread her arms to the side as if shrugging while asking, “Hey where is everybody?” Owl came out of hiding and looked over at Crystal in surprise. He flew right up to her and Nights as he was filled with worry. Many of the resistance members looked out from their hiding spots to see the trio, breathing a sigh of relief. Rhodonite joined his two siblings, who were both happy to see him.

“Hoo, thank goodness you’re all right!” Owl exclaimed. “Defeating Cerberus was no easy feat for a visitor! If Nights hadn’t intervened, it would have been the end of-!” Owl was interrupted when Nights put his hand over his beak to calm the old bird down. Pidge and Cumula snickered upon seeing this.

“Yeah, that was a tough skirmish for a first trial,” Crystal clarified with a worried tone. “Though what’s also worrying is what I got after the battle.” She produced the crystalline rosemary from her bag and showed it to Owl. Nights released his hand from Owl’s beak as the old bird examined it.

“Oh dear,” he hooted a bit with concern. “I had a feeling this would come up.” Crystal looked to her mentor with the same concern as he did and asked, rather regrettably, “What would come up?”

“This Memory you’ve found is one of your own,” he told her, confirming her earlier suspicion. “There are a total of nine Memories hidden from you in this world. And sadly, four out of those Memories are hidden in Nightmare. A benevolent Nightmaren, known to us as Prisma, was responsible for taking them from you to protect you from a fate much grimmer than nightmares alone. Once you collect all of your Memories, you will know exactly what happened to you that fateful day when you were forced to leave Nightopia for your protection.” Crystal finally understood exactly what he meant when she looked to the Memory once more.

“Well, it’s been twelve years since I left Nightopia,” she told him. “I think I’m ready to learn about the events that transpired. Hopefully, I’ll get some answers as to why my being here opened Pandora’s Box. Is there a projection room I can go to?” Nights raised his hand and mimed that he can lead her right to where she needed to go.

“Thank you Nights,” she replied. “If I end up having a panic attack, just snap me out, all right?” She chuckled a bit before the two hugged each other for a brief moment. Owl disappeared soon after they broke loose, and Nights began to fly off in the direction of the projection room that Crystal was looking for. She followed close behind along with Pidge and Cumula. After they made their way there, Nights gave a bow to her as she curtsied right back. He then opened the door to the projection room and let her walk in. Pidge and Cumula both flew in, the former landing on Crystal’s shoulder. Nights then spoke to her through telepathy.

“Heads up, Crystal,” he warned her through telepathy. “You’ll be in for more than a shock with this Memory. It’s not going to be a pretty sight.” Crystal nodded to him with a smile, with Cumula, and Pidge nodding as well.

“Don’t worry,” she told him. “I’m sure I’m old enough to handle it by now. Thanks for your concern though.” She and Nights hug each other before the latter leaves the room. Crystal looked around for a projector of some sort and after a few seconds, she came across what appeared to be a glass orb. She picked it up carefully fearing that she would break it somehow.

“This might do the trick,” she told her self. She was looking around the room for where she might place the orb, but her search was interrupted when Seraphinite, Rhodonite, and Morganite all came in together. Rhodonite noticed her confusion and flew right up to her.

“Whoa, champ in making, don’t start yet!” he told her. He took the glass orb from her and placed it on a nearby pedestal. He then explained, “These orbs can only be used once per projection, so we can’t risk breaking any of these little guys, all right?”

“Fair enough,” Crystal stated in understanding. “They are made out of glass. It’s like throwing a book in the fireplace before someone gets to read it.” Hikaru came into the room as she said this, and overheard her analogy. She snickered upon hearing it.

“That’s one way to look at it,” Morganite concurred. “Though I wouldn’t go that far in the long run.” She pets her cat-like Nightmaren as she said this.

“Says the bookworm to the Valkyrie,” Seraphinite teased her sister. She looked to Crystal with a smile. “Anyway, Rhodonite told me about the Memory you picked up. Since sis and I have nothing better to do, I’d like a crack at what’s stored in there just for the sake of curiosity.”

“As you wish,” Crystal agreed. She frisked her bag for the Memory and took it out. She then walked over to Rhodonite and handed it to him saying, “Care to demonstrate what these orbs can do?”

“Of course,” Rhodonite answered with a smile gently taking the Memory from her. “You just need to place these in either these projection orbs or one of the Chronos Lilies if you can find one. They’ll showcase whatever is stored in these memories. After that, the Memory will swoop right back into your mind like a puzzle piece. Let’s see what’s stored in this puppy.”

Rhodonite placed the Memory into the glass orb, and it began to glow. It then resonated throughout the projection room, changing the scenery around them. The area was heavily wooded with some areas resembling some scenes from children’s stories. One area resembled the tea party from Alice in Wonderland, and another one right next to it resembled the rose garden from the same book. Another part of the area had a tree that resembled the barn from Charlotte’s Web decorated with a spider’s web, which was perfect for climbing the tree. The forest they were in was reminiscent of the legendary Sherwood Forest from the Legend of Robin Hood. They are now experiencing an event that occurred twelve years before the events of now.

“Whoa,” Seraphinite looked around. “Is this the Quartz Palace?” Crystal knew better, however, due to her familiarity.

“No,” she corrected her. “This is the Phantasmal Glen. It’s not available yet, due to my low Ideya count, but I recognize the scenery all too well.” She looked around for any past images and noticed her five-year-old self running through the forest after a certain Shleep. It was Cumula, who hadn’t changed a bit even twelve years earlier. She had Crystal’s Lamb-Lamb in her mouth playing with the girl who was chasing after her to retrieve it while giggling. A younger Nights entered the picture and called out to her.

“Crystal!” he called. The little girl looked over at Nights with a smile and ran up to him with Cumula following right behind her. He knelt to her level and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“I’m going to talk to the old bird quick,” he told her. “So don’t wander too far into the forest while I’m gone.”

“Okay, Dream Jester,” she answered with a nod. Nights patted her on the head as she giggled. He then took to the sky and turned back to her while saying, “I’ll be right back!” He flew to the left leaving five-year-old Crystal alone with Cumula.

“Hurry back!” she shouted at the sky while waving to Nights. As soon as she said this, Cumula jumped into her arms, and nuzzled her, the toy still in her mouth. Crystal giggled a bit as she did that. Suddenly, a 1st Level Nightmaren, hidden completely in shadow, with only a pair of glowing red eyes showing in the shadow form, appeared behind her. He was smiling at the girl as she nuzzled Cumula.

“Feh! I thought he would never leave,” he scoffed startling the girl and Cumula. She turned around to see who the new person was and was horrified at the sight of the new Nightmaren.

“So you’re the Magician of Light visitor, hm?” he asked her in a mocking tone. “I didn’t think an Elemental such as you would be such a young child.” Crystal squeaked in shock causing Cumula to stand defensively, expanding her cloud-like body in front of Crystal. She was acting as a barrier between the girl and the malevolent being. The shadowy figure was not phased by the sight and approached Crystal, who was backing away from him in fright.

“Stay back!” she told him her voice shaking with fear. “The D-Dream Jester is coming back any minute!”

“Don’t be foolish,” he retorted with an eerily calm voice. “He’s not going to return in time. Besides, it’s not just your Ideya that I’m after. I have far bigger plans for you. What is your name, my dear?” Crystal blurted out, rather regrettably, her voice shaking like a leaf, “P-P-Princess Crystal!” The shadowy 1st Level Nightmaren grinned like the Cheshire Cat upon hearing her answer.

“My, what a regal name,” he complimented rather mockingly. “You’re coming with me!” He pushed Cumula out of the way with enough force to knock her right into a far away tree, deflating the poor Shleep. Crystal tried to get away, but was caught by the shirt by the shadowy figure before she could even get close to her friend. As she screamed in terror upon being lifted off the ground and into the sky, the shadowy figure cackled, having caught his latest prey. The vision ends with the group all back in the projection room shocked at the revelation. Seraphinite was scowling at the event, Rhodonite and Hikaru were both wide-eyed with shrunken irises, and Morganite’s eyes were glistening with sympathy. Cumula looked down at the ground sadly as Pidge comforted her friend.

“My gosh,” said Hikaru worriedly as her irises returned to normal. “That poor girl.”

“Lousy Wizeman,” Seraphinite scoffed. “He thinks he owns everything. What kind of monster kidnaps a little kid anyway? That’s just asking for trouble with the law.”

“She’s too precious to be Nightmare’s hostage!” Morganite shouted a bit. Pidge and Cumula looked at their master and were shocked to see her collapse to the ground. The latter bleated, alerting the three 1st Level Nightmarens. Rhodonite looked over at Crystal, who was on her knees in terror, her eyes widened, and her whole body shaking with fear. She had her arms around herself as if the air had suddenly gotten colder.

“Crystal? Are you okay?” he asked her worried about her state. She didn’t answer. She continued to stare in front of her as if she had seen a ghost.

“That girl…that was me,” she spoke finally her voice quivering with fright. “That little girl…who…just got kidnapped…That was me…I got kidnapped…when I was…five…” She clutched her head in pain as she shouted, “No!!” She felt another jolt of electricity as another crackling sound is heard soon after. It was as if the crack of the glass wall had widened. The Memory that projected the event went straight to Crystal and phased right into her mind. A small shattering sound is heard as this happens. Rhodonite and Hikaru both placed their hands on her, the latter on her forehead, the former on her shoulder. Crystal was panting in fear now, her breath ragged with every exhale. Cumula and Pidge began to bleat and caw in worry and fright.

“She’s burning up,” Hikaru told the others worriedly.

“No kidding,” said Rhodonite. “She looks like she’s seen a ghost. Maybe even a tulpa.” Seraphinite was watching Crystal with a sympathetic look. Morganite looked over at the ground Crystal was kneeling on and screamed in fright. A dark aura was starting to envelop the girl. Seraphinite took notice and shouted, “What the?!” Rhodonite and Hikaru both jumped back in horror as the dark energy began to circle Crystal as if it was taunting her. Cumula bleated and Pidge cawed in terror as the dark aura surrounded her. The scleroses in her eyes began to darken again, as did her hair. Crystal’s breathing became more and more breathless as she was losing control of herself once more. It was as if the air was being stolen from her lungs.

“Commander!” Hikaru yelled at the door. Alerted by her calling out to her, Nightmaria arrived from above, along with Lumière, and looked down at Crystal with a worried expression. She looked at her more carefully as the young princess continued to pant more slowly. She flew right down to her and asked, “What happened?! What is the meaning of this?!”

“It all started after we saw the Memory she recovered!” Morganite explained with shaking terror. Her feline friend was also fearful as she said this. Lumière looked at Crystal with a worried look.

“She freaked out and this dark energy started blasting out like a ghost taking over her brain,” Seraphinite explained further. Hikaru circled Crystal, creating a seal binding her to the ground. She waved her hand as some chains of light bound her feet to the ground.

“I got her in place, commander,” she told Nightmaria. “Let’s hope we find out what’s causing her distress.” She and Nightmaria began to look Crystal over. The latter checked her shoulder, and she noticed a rather ominous mark on her neck. Her face contorted to an angry scowl.

“Dark Ideya,” she said angrily under her breath. “I should’ve known.” Hikaru and the others gasped in horror.

“Dark Ideya?!” Lumière repeated. Cumula and Pidge both bleated and cawed in shock upon hearing this.

“No way!” exclaimed Rhodonite. “How did she get that thing?! I thought that was just a myth!”

“Not in this world,” replied Nightmaria clenching her fist. “Those branded with the Dark Ideya, either through a contract or by force, are bound by the one who planted this insidious seed within them. This could only mean one thing. One of Wizeman’s followers branded this girl.”

“The only question we have now is who the culprit is,” stated Lumière. “This Dark Ideya business is only available to 1st Level Nightmarens like us. I doubt any of the resistance members is responsible, otherwise, we wouldn’t trust anyone.” Hikaru looked at Crystal with sympathy as the young princess continued to slowly lose control of herself. She felt as if the world around her began to darken as she felt the terror taking over her mind.

Suddenly, a beautiful melody rang out in the sky above the room the group was in. They looked around to see where the noise was coming from. Crystal heard the enchanting melody and began to look to the sky. It sounded like a flute being played in the wind. She began to rise despite the chains restricting her movement. Hikaru took notice and snapped her fingers causing the chains to vanish, thus releasing the girl.

“That music,” Crystal spoke her voice sounding much calmer. She rose to her feet and she began to walk in the direction of the sound. Nightmaria and the others followed close behind as she began to walk up the nearby staircase to the scaffolding. While she walked up the stairs, the dark aura began to subside, and her eyes and hair began to return to normal. She made it to the top and began to walk slowly in the direction of the flute’s melody.

In the distance was Nights whose fingers were positioned as if he were playing the flute. His invisible flute continued to ring out, attracting Crystal who slowly regained control of herself as she walked up to him. Nightmaria and the others were amazed at this, with Hikaru breathing a sigh of relief. As soon as she was within range of the melody, Crystal had finally returned to normal. Nights had stopped playing as soon as she had regained full control of herself, and he placed his left hand on her shoulder, and his right hand on her face. He smiled sympathetically as she placed her hand on her chest in concern

“Are you all right?” he asked her telepathically.

“I…I think so,” Crystal spoke unsure of what had transpired. She smiled a slight smiled and added, “Thanks for snapping me out of it, Nights.” The two hugged each other with Nights patting her on the back. The others breathed a sigh of relief. They stopped hugging as Crystal turned around to face her allies. Nights explained to them in sign language that she is now back to her old self and everything is completely under control.

“Let’s keep it that way, old friend,” said Lumière with a wink. He tipped his hat to him as he said this. Crystal rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment while saying, “I guess I have some explaining to do. Would you mind getting Owl real quick, Lumière?”

“Way ahead of you, kid,” Lumière replied. He made a circle with his hand in the air causing a vortex to appear above him, and he disappeared into his hat. Said hat jumped right into the vortex, which then vanished. Nightmaria looked over at Crystal with concern.

“Does he know about this?” she asked her. Crystal nodded in response to her question.

“I’ve known Owl since I was five,” she explained. “He’s far better at explaining things than me.” Nights confirmed this through sign language as she explained, “Maybe he’ll confirm what I saw in the first Memory I recovered.” Nightmaria though it over before responding to her statement.

“I understand, princess,” she told her. “But we must speak in my quarters. This is no place for a private conversation. If others were to hear the full story, surely the spy in the ranks would take note of the situation at hand.”

“Understood,” Crystal replied with a nod. She and the others went down the stairs and went in the direction toward Nightmaria’s tent. Crystal had never seen her quarters before, but she will soon find out. Nights stood beside her as they went in that direction, and Cumula and Pidge floated alongside her, worried about her. After a few short turns, they made it to Nightmaria’s tent, with Owl waiting right next to the entrance. They entered one at a time, and Nightmaria used her telekinetic power to bring out a tea set. Crystal was relieved as she checked the contents to ensure it was at the right temperature.

“Phew,” she said taking her hand off the hot teapot. Nightmaria took notice and nodded in understanding. She coaxed her to sit down and Crystal obeyed with Nights patting her for reassurance.

“Sorry,” she explained. “Terrible habit.” She straightened herself out and coaxed Pidge and Cumula to her, the former resting on her shoulder and the latter on her lap. She then explained, “I’d like to apologize for what happened earlier. I honestly thought I was alone with whatever happened to me earlier.”

“It isn’t your fault, deary,” Owl explained.

“What you’ve experienced is a shroud of despair taking over,” Nightmaria added, “caused by what we have since called the Dark Ideya. It would appear that yours was conceived without your consent.” Crystal poured herself some tea as she said this. Nightmaria asked, “Do you remember what happened that would cause the Dark Ideya to take over?” Crystal thought it over as she sipped her tea slowly trying to avoid scalding her tongue.

“This isn’t the first time that’s happened,” she told her. “I was in a different dream world belonging to a fellow visitor named Will Taylor. After seeing a past event of the poor kid being paralooped by Re-!” She then remembered that Reala was a forbidden name to the resistance, and she cut herself off before she could finish naming him before clearing her throat. “You-Know-Who, I felt like the world starting to go dark, and that I was losing control of myself.”

“And what of right now?” Nightmaria inquired.

“It was after watching a Memory of mine that it happened again,” Crystal responded quickly. “The Memory that it showed was…” She paused to sip some more tea and swallowed it before adding, “…five-year-old me getting kidnapped.” Nights held his head low as Owl looked at her with a worried look. Nightmaria’s expression became stern upon hearing Crystal’s explanation of the memory in question. Crystal added, “I had a panic attack soon after.”

“I was afraid of that,” he told her. “Witnessing your captor’s crime may have triggered the Dark Ideya within you.” Crystal turned to Owl with a concerned look as he explained further. “The night you were taken to Nightmare was the same night that Nights left to speak with me. When he realized that you were gone, he searched everywhere to find you. By the time he found you, I’m afraid we must have been too late.”

“Is it similar to the regular Ideya, only more villainous?” she asked rather regrettably.

“Almost,” Owl explained. “Dark Ideya is indeed quite similar, but their purpose is quite different. The visitor does not acquire the Dark Ideya, nor are they normally born with this energy. It can only be formed by a 1st Level Nightmaren and planted within the visitor, whether it is through a contract of their own accord, or through force. The only way for the Dark Ideya to be planted, however, is if the corresponding Ideya that it counteracts is replaced by said Ideya of the opposite nature. It is parasitic, and unfortunately, it cannot be detected by other visitors, not even the one carrying this villainous energy. If the visitor even sheds a single bout of fear, or if the 1st Level Nightmaren casts a certain spell, the Dark Ideya will take over.” Nightmaria had just finished her tea through the explanation. With Crystal’s permission, she examined the Ideya more closely, and noted the Dark Ideya within her, as well as the mark on her neck.

“In your case,” she added, “it seems as though your captor had replaced the Ideya of Hope with the Dark Ideya of Despair. And judging from this power, it laid dormant within you for twelve years. Most visitors lose the Dark Ideya over time, however, some exceptions include this one in particular, where the Dark Ideya remains in the heart of the visitor, until they remove it themselves within the 1st Level Nightmaren’s realm, or have a different 1st Level Nightmaren remove it for them.”

“So I can have Nights remove it as long as I give consent?” Crystal asked. Nights nodded, confirming Crystal’s assumption.

“Not yet,” said Nightmaria smiling. “The Dark Ideya grows stronger with less Ideya within the visitor. So if we gather the rest of your Ideya, then we will weaken its power within you.” Crystal then thought of something she told Hikaru earlier. She has a brief flashback.

“I need to get my Ideya back from those Nightmarens,” she told Hikaru. “I need them to gain access to the other dream worlds at the Dream Gate.” The flashback ends with Crystal placing her hand over her heart.

“Coincidentally,” she explained, “one of the plans I had in mind while I’m stuck in my medical coma, thus stuck in my dream world, was retrieving my lost Ideya. I’ve been exploring the Quartz Palace to see if I could stumble upon at least one of them. I’m having no such luck so far.” Nightmaria, Nights, and Owl all nodded in understanding. Nights used sign language to explain.

“He says that your Ideya is most likely hidden in Nightopia,” Owl translated. “He also wishes to help you find them.” Crystal stood up with Cumula in her arms, and Pidge on her shoulder.

“Thank you, Nights,” Crystal told him. She then looked over to Nightmaria who was sitting in the air sipping some more tea.

“And one more thing I need to do while I’m stuck here,” she told her. “I need to find out who my kidnapper is, and why they chose me of all people just to add the Dark Ideya in my heart by replacing my Hope Ideya.” She then turned to Nights and Owl and added, “Now, I’m well aware that you two already know who it is, but I do have one request for both of you. Please do not spoil the kidnapper’s name for me. The reason why I ask this of you is that I prefer figuring it out for myself. Just think of it like a storybook that you want to read every page of before you reach the ending to see what happens.” Nights placed his hand over his diamond with a beaming nod.

“We will do our best to remain silent on the matter,” Owl replied, respecting her decision. “Given your current age at the moment, I see no harm in allowing you some independent work.” Nightmaria too was impressed with her conviction. She rose from her seating position.

“Before you return to the Quartz Palace,” she told her, “we must begin your training with this new-found power of yours. We will meet in the battle arena for your first training exercise, that is if you’re willing to participate, princess.” Crystal looked to Nights who pats her on the back in reassurance. She then looked at Owl who nodded to her, and her Nightmaren pets Cumula and Pidge both nudged her.

“Yes ma’am,” she answered while smiling. She looked back at Nights while adding, “I personally like to know how to make a portal like Nights and the others can without needing to fly.” Nights snickered upon hearing this before playfully touching her nose.

“That can be arranged,” said Nightmaria. “Although most people take years of training to perfect their power, your training will take a matter of a few days due to the nature of your coma, and the nature of your people. Nights and I will also be monitoring your Dark Ideya to ensure that you won’t fall into the despair that it brings.”

“Understood,” Crystal told her. She rose to her feet as Nights and Owl got up from their respective positions and the former patted her on the shoulder. He opened the door for her and the three exit Nightmaria’s quarters. Nightmaria wasn’t too far behind as the quartet made their way to the obstacle arena to begin Crystal’s training.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dubaious and Pandora both make their debut here. Dubaious was a Nightmaren from the original fan-fiction from when I was a teenager. He's been updated to sound similar to the actor Steve Buscemi. For Pandora, she was originally supposed to be a human turned Nightmaren in the original fan-fiction. Sadly, it was not to be. She has been re-purposed as Hikaru's sister as well as a full-fledged Nightmaren. As for the Dark Ideya, it is essentially Nightmare Energy created only by the 1st Level Nightmarens. The Ideya the person is planted with mirrors the darker version of the actual Ideya. Allow me to list them now:
> 
> Ideya - Dark Ideya
> 
> Courage - Cowardice  
> Intelligence - Ignorance  
> Purity - Corruption  
> Wisdom or Growth - Misguidance or Decline  
> Hope - Despair
> 
> In Crystal's case, her Ideya of Hope was replaced by the Dark Ideya of Despair. I hope this helps you out with what I had in mind.


	14. First Training Session

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmaria provides Crystal and obstacle course for her to go through before she could learn to control her new-found power. Can she make it through the course without showing any fear?

Meanwhile, back in Nightmare, Reala was just returning to his dimension to rest himself before returning to work. He suddenly felt a jolt as if the air became heavy around him. He grunted in pain for a brief moment as he caught himself from a slight daze. After straightening himself, with Clawz watching in concern, he shook himself back to normal.

 _What was that? That powerful aura,_ he thought as he looked behind himself. _Whatever it is, it strengthened my power for brief moment. I need to investigate this further once I deal with her._ Clawz nudged his hand as he looked to him and pet his head in reassurance. He looked at the blue flame torch and saw an image of Crystal walking alongside Nights, Nightmaria, and Owl to the obstacle course arena.

“Cerberus may have fallen to the girl,” he spoke aloud, “but we do not sleep yet. There’s still plenty of Nightmares to use against her. Although, she should have been awake by now, it seems she is unable to awaken in the Waking World.” He smiled after brushing the flame. “No matter. This will give me plenty of time to learn about her. But I have to make sure that she is alone before I strike. Nights and his foolish antics will have to wait.” He chuckled as he stared into the distorted realm around him. _Just you wait, visitor,_ he thought. _I’m coming for you one way, or another._ Clawz purred upon seeing his master smile as Reala stared into the dark sky with a malicious grin.

Meanwhile, Crystal and the others had just arrived at the obstacle course, and she was ready to show what she can do. They were joined by Hikaru and Lumière who were waiting for them to finish with their conversation. Crystal looked around to see that the arena looked to be a blank slate. She could tell, however, that the arena was more than it seemed. Anything is possible in the dream world. Hikaru flew right to her in a state of concern.

“Are you okay?” she asked frantically. “You nearly gave us a heart attack back there!” Crystal realized what she was talking about right away.

“I’m fine now,” she reassured her. “It was one heck of a panic attack though. I don’t recall one that can make you lose control of yourself. But that’s not why I’m here.” She looked to Nightmaria and nodded in her direction. The commander floated to what appeared to be the start of the obstacle course. It was a cliff that overlooked the rest of the course, and the course looked much colorful version of Reala’s realm. The checkerboard-like floor was colored yellow and blue, crystals floated around the area as if they were stars, and rings were lined in a row around the course. The sky was as black as the night sky with shooting stars flying in the distance.

“This is for when we include your race as well as the Sorcerers of Darkness,” Nightmaria explained. “We carefully constructed this place to mirror the training areas of Nightmare so that one day, we would face the Nightmarens who are most loyal to Wizeman the Wicked. Since you bear the powers of our people, sans the ability to fly, we believe that this will help you use these powers to your advantage. Your first lesson will be to create a vortex without the need to fly in a circle as we often do. And the lesson after is to learn to control your Illusion magic further than demonstrated in your battle against Cerberus.” Crystal, who was paying attention to the entire speech, nodded to her in understanding.

“I do recall having a bit of trouble with my pillars in that fight,” she told her. “Cerberus was not as dumb as I thought they were. You probably saw what happened thanks to the crystal balls.” She nodded in the direction of one next to the cliff while Nights patted her on the back as reassurance.

“Most 2nd Level Nightmarens cannot be fooled by the same trick a second time,” Nightmaria explained. “They can be quite unpredictable to humans, even when you expect the same result as the last.” Crystal shuddered at the thought before Nightmaria continued, “However, 1st Level Nightmarens are able to predict their brethren’s movements and strategies without consequence. Nights’ interference in your bout against Cerberus is an example of this trait, as his mind, like many of our rank, is far more advanced than the average Nightmaren. Thus, to a 2nd Level Nightmaren, our minds are shrouded in mystery.” Crystal giggled upon hearing this while Nights laughed silently.

“That explains Nights’ Psycho Block,” she said playfully. The two looked at each other for a brief moment with her nodding to the playful jester, and him winking in her direction. Nightmaria then proceeded to float toward the beginning of the obstacle course with Crystal and Nights following behind her. She turned to her and asked, “Are you able to fly in this world, princess?”

“Yes, but only when I’m outside,” Crystal answered truthfully. “My kind have a handy-cap that bars us from flying indoors. And said handy-cap is still active even while we’re asleep.” Nights nodded confirming Crystal’s explanation. She then added while walking to the edge, “The only time I’ll quote on quote fly indoors is telekinesis.” She then checked down below to see how steep the fall was, and she placed her foot in the air, causing halo-like, gem-imbued rings to appear on her ankles and wrists, while adding, “Like so.”

“Oh wow!” Hikaru said in amazement. Lumière and Nightmaria smiled and Nights clapped at Crystal’s demonstration. Crystal then floated back to the cliff after only five seconds and added, “The problem is my telekinesis is very unstable. I can only last in the air with it for ten seconds before dropping back down.” Owl patted the young princess on the back.

“We can ask Dr. Fergali to fix that,” Hikaru told her. “He’s great with defects like that.” Crystal breathed a sigh of relief. Hikaru then added, “Just make sure to talk to him when you get the chance.” Crystal nodded at her suggestion while Nights playfully grabbed her nose in between his knuckles. Nightmaria then waved her hand over the cliff and an entire obstacle course appeared before the group. Crystal was amazed with the set up, as she can see that the course was built to fit a human. She looked around and took note of some rings around the arena and she nodded in satisfaction. The rings were lined up neatly in rows of two or more, and she was amazed. She also noticed that there were ropes, a slanted wall for her to use her magnetic powers with, and even some platforms for her to jump on.

“Those rings look like a lot of fun to jump through,” she said to the others with a smile.

“Ha ha ha! You have no idea, sweetie!” said Hikaru laughing a little at Crystal’s comment. Nightmaria turned to Crystal who was walking into position readying herself for the course ahead. She brandished her Millennium Rod just to be safe, as she knew about obstacle courses all too well.

“You have five minutes to go through the obstacle course,” said Nightmaria. “Once you make it through, I will create a replica of a 1st Level Nightmaren whose loyalty lies with Wizeman. It is after you defeat this replica that you will be able to learn one of the many abilities of our people. Shall we begin?” Crystal nodded, and Nightmaria floated to the right to let her through. Crystal readied herself into a sprinting position as the clock ticked down.

Three…two…one…go! She immediately sprinted forward and her first part of the course with a wall-jumping section. She jumped from one slanted wall to the other until she made it to the next part of the course. The next one seemed straight at first, but she quickly found out that she needed to use her magnetism to run on through, allowing herself to run on the warped wall. She then reached the rope by jumping and the floating rope floated down to the platform she needed to go to.

-Four minutes and thirty-five seconds-

Crystal spied the other platforms, some moving up and down, others backward and forward. She traversed each one with some careful timing, and she also jumped in quick succession of the platforms that were in a straight row. When Crystal took note of the large swinging pendulums in the next row as well as a rope for her to hang on to. After taking a deep breath, she jumped onto the rope and began to swing opposite of the current pendulum as it moved forward in a medium pace. She did the same to the other four as she went passed while still hanging on. As soon as the rope reached the platform, she dropped back down.

-Four minutes and five seconds-

Crystal then ran through a long, checkerboard tunnel that seemed to shrink the further she ran through. She managed to persevere this death trap by jumping forward, and performing a somersault before continuing with the obstacle course. Nights, Hikaru, Lumière, and Nightmaria were following along with her movements as she ran through each obstacle with no sign of surrender. The next obstacle was some blocks that moved around like dice while moving up and down or left and right. Some even moved in a diagonal pattern. Crystal wasn’t one to give up, however, and she used her magnetism to cling onto each spinning dice-like block, and jumping at the right time. As she reached the final block, however, she slipped a little before managing to re-magnetize her feet to the hard surface. She reached the platform at long last before jumping off, and sprinting forward to the next obstacle.

-Three minutes and forty-five seconds-

Crystal’s next obstacle was to wall jump through the rings as quickly as possible. She did this in quick succession and managed to make her way to the third to last obstacle. This one seemed pretty simple. It was what that seemed to be trampolines to reach the other end. Crystal was not easily fooled by its appearance and she managed to jump on one trampoline while dodging what appeared to be a large pole that spun forward. She jumped over it and did the same to the other five trampolines before reaching the platform and sprinting forward to the second to last obstacle.

-Three minutes and thirty-five seconds-

Crystal’s next venture was through a series of ten pillars that seem to come alive to try and crush her. With careful timing, she jumped through each one. After making it through, she grabbed a strange grate attached to a railing. It was what appeared to be the final part of the obstacle course. Crystal used her super jump to cling on to the grate and the ride began. She navigated the grate from left to right as well as clockwise and counter clockwise.

Nights was clapping as she breezed through the course, and Nightmaria was pleased with the results of her training so far. Hikaru looked at her in fascination while Lumière watched with a smile. Owl, who was waiting at the end of the obstacle course next to an egg-shaped alarm clock, looked on in worry as she held on while riding the grate as if it was a roller coaster. She looked as if she was an insect on the grill of a car. As she swiveled the grate around trying to get every ring that went passed, she saw the end of the obstacle course and prepared to jump at a moment’s notice. As soon as the grate came to a halt at the top of the ride, Crystal was flung upwards, allowing her to perform an aerial twist as she spun around, and landed right next to the egg-shaped alarm clock, quickly pressing it down as she did so.

-Two minutes and thirty five seconds-

Owl hooted in response to Crystal’s perfect timing while Hikaru clapped excitedly and Lumière threw green and purple rose petals in the girl’s direction. She was sweating and panting, but she managed to make it through. Nights flew right up to her and trapped her in a bear-hug upon seeing her complete the course. Nightmaria chuckled slightly at the sight despite herself and Lumière too laughed at Nights’ response to Crystal passing the course.

“Well done! Well done!” Owl hooted in excitement. “Passing through this course as a visitor was no easy feat!” Nights released Crystal from his grasp upon hearing Owl congratulating the young princess.

“Taking her race into account,” Hikaru responded, “I’d say, she managed it just fine.” Nightmaria, having seen her potential, began to wave her hand in a circular motion. A black and white mist began to form as it spiraled into a familiar shape. The mist had turned gray as it formed the image of Reala. The clone’s eyes looked to Crystal intently as the young princess shuddered at its presence. She was about to back away from the doppelganger as it approached her slightly, but Nights and Owl quickly steady her movement. Nights gave her a gentle push while Owl patted her on the back.

“Calm down, dear,” he told her. “This is merely a replica of Reala.” Nightmaria didn’t shudder once from hearing his name, but she did look sternly in their direction regardless. She then looked back at the clone and flew past it to the end of the arena. Owl then added, “As stated before, you will need to defeat it in order to learn the ability to create your own vortex. Although you’ve gained by happenstance, it’s been dormant since your return to Nightopia.” Nightmaria had just reached the end of the arena before turning herself around to the young princess.

“Strike the target,” she commanded sternly. Crystal looked to Owl in concern.

“Let your instincts guide you,” he told her calmly. Crystal inhaled then exhaled before brandishing her Millennium Rod once more before and what she hopes to be a short battle begins. The clone began to fly about in a circular pattern while facing Crystal. She armed herself with a barrier just in case, and she began to charge a spell, standing her ground in the process. The clone summoned a series of orbs and launched them at her. Some of the orbs bounced off her, and she finished charging the spell. It was an ice spell, called Frost Storm, a swirling vortex of ice, snow, and diamond dust. The storm disoriented the clone, but it did not falter from attacking the girl.

The Reala clone then summoned a spread of fire, causing some damage to Crystal, but she quickly healed herself. The clone circled around her as if he was going to paraloop her to a different part of the arena. He completed it after two circles and snapped his fingers, activating the portal below her. She was unable to escape it in time, and she found herself falling into it before another appeared and she fell through landing on the ground soon after. She quickly got back up and proceeded to activate the spell Volcanic Big Bang, causing some damage to the clone. He fell to the ground clutching his side as if he were injured. Crystal, not willing to take any chances, stayed far away from him and cast some ranged spells, one of which was Rose Thorn. She also used a new spell known as Blue Moon Quartz Missile, in which a large blue moon quartz was shot from her scepter and straight at her opponent, where is exploded into a cloud of tiny blue moon quartz shards.

 _He’s lucky that he can fly by default,_ Crystal thought. _If he was grounded, let’s just say those quartz shards are as sharp as daggers._ The clone regained consciousness after his daze wore off and he flew back into the air to continue the fight. Crystal reactivated her shield, since it wore off after five minutes. Soon after, a flurry of fireballs attacks the young girl as she stood her ground. Some bounced off her shield, and others penetrated the shield, dealing minimal damage. She activated the spell Supreme Thunder, causing the arena to be engulfed in lightning bolts. The clone was struck by a few stray bolts, but maintained his focus nonetheless.

Crystal used the spell Diamond Dust Furry so as to blind him, but he countered with a circle of flames. Having made a mental note about his power, she returned to using other types of magic. She performed the spell Heaven’s Light intending to blind him with the harmful rays surrounding herself and the field. The light not only served its’ purpose, it also damaged the clone as he cannot survive without darkness. As he is dazed from the light, Crystal summoned Halo Sabre and ran up to him as he landed on the ground. She slashed him repeatedly, causing some damage in the process. After she did this, she teleported away, and as if right on cue, the Reala clone straightened himself out before flying back into the air.

The clone floated about her as if taunting her while circling the arena. He then charged up an illusion spell, Entrapment, trapping the girl in one spot with a snap of his fingers. Crystal was locked in place as the clone used the fire spell Omega Flame, an attack which summons pillars of flame surrounding the arena. Two of them flew right to Crystal who was struggling to break free as the pillars were about to burn her alive. She thought fast and activated Aqua Pulse, sending a huge wave of water in every direction, thus neutralizing the flaming pillars. She then followed up with Thunderbird Omega, a lightning equivalent to Phoenix Flare.

The clone was struck down by the flashes of lightning. He plummeted to the ground in pain allowing her to break free from his Entrapment, and activating Halo Sabre. She ran right up to him and slashed him many times over before propelling herself upwards with a tornado, and after reaching thirty feet into the air, she encased herself in a crystalline barrier to plummet toward him, using gravity to her advantage. Her barrier struck down and crashed right into the clone, shattering the barrier, and dissolving the clone. Crystal had won the battle.

The Reala clone was on the ground clutching his side as he slowly disintegrated right before the eyes of Crystal and the spectators. She breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her accomplishment. As she was about to walk away, the clone grabbed her arm and a strange sensation engulfed it. She looked down at her arm to see strange markings forming on the arm itself. They were blue in color, and glowed like the moonlight. She can see that the clone had begun transferring a bit of his power into her. As the sensation subsided, the clone released his grip as he vanished. Crystal looked at her arm and read the text written on where he gripped her tightly.

“Voyage,” she read quietly. The text and markings vanished as soon as she read the word aloud. Nightmaria approached her once this was done. She placed her hand on Crystal’s arm to examine it. She nodded with a slight smile.

“The transfer is complete,” she stated. She looked to the young princess and added, “This ability, known to us as the paraloop, shall give you to power to create vortexes anywhere in the dreamworld. However, those who use it must have their minds as clear as crystal for this to work.” She then let go of her arm gently and told her, “Try it now. Think of a place you wish to enter, and draw a circle while stationary.” Crystal was a bit nervous about performing the spell, but Nights gave her an encouraging nudge.

“You can do it,” Hikaru told her. Crystal smiled at her friends.

“Okay,” she replied. After closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose. She began to focus her sight on a certain part of the course as she raised her right hand in front of herself. After a mere five seconds, she opened her eyes and spoke, “Voyage.” Her hand became alight with a golden hue as she moved her hand in circular pattern as instructed. Her movements have created a portal much to her relief, and everyone’s amazement. Nightmaria nodded in approval. Nights clapped in elation. Hikaru and Owl breathed a sigh of relief.

“Now walk through it as if it was a doorway,” Nightmaria instructed. Crystal, having been through a portal herself thanks to Prisma, nods to Nightmaria and her friends before walking forward into the portal itself. As soon as she walked through the portal, it closed behind her. Another portal appeared at the entrance of the course. The others flew right to it as she exited from it. The portal then disappeared right behind her soon after she made it through. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief as she has officially mastered the new technique. Nights flew right into her as she gave a playful yelp in surprise and wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug while spinning in several circles. The others laughed at his antics while she giggled. Nightmaria gave a slight chuckle at the sight as well despite herself. As soon as Nights stopped spinning and looked to the others, Hikaru approached the duo as Crystal looked in her direction.

“Okay, Nights, let her go before she chokes to death,” she said while giggling slightly. Nights released his grasp while giving an embarrassed smile. As soon as he did this, Crystal jumped to the ground with a slight giggle. She brushed some of his twinkle dust off herself as Nightmaria approached her.

“You’ve done very well for your first try,” she told her. “There many other abilities that we can perform. However, we will concentrate on one ability per trial. I must warn you that each course that I lay out for you will be harder than the last. You will need to be prepared for the next time these challenges occur.” Crystal looked at her hand as the Ideya of Courage shines through it and gives a quick nod before turning her head back to Nightmaria.

“I will look forward to the lessons you give out, commander,” she told her. Owl approached Crystal and gave a pat on the back for reassurance. Nightmaria nodded at her response.

“Good,” she replied. “The more you learn of how our people use these powers, the less trouble you will have with our adversary.”

“Understood,” Crystal replied. The others nodded in agreement.

“That is all for tonight,” Nightmaria told her. “You’re all dismissed.” She waved her hand in a circle and created a portal of her own to fly through. As soon as she vanished, the other Nightmarens followed suit. The only exception were Crystal’s companions, Cumula and Pidge, Nights who remained at Crystal’s side, and of course Owl, who opted to remain with her as well.

“I’ll see to it that things are kept in order with your lessons,” he told her with a smile. “In the meantime, it is best to explore the Quartz Palace a bit further. You may stumble upon some nostalgic places in there. But do be careful when you see any Nightmarens trying to overrun you. If you need assistance in any way, especially when up against a hoard of them, don’t hesitate contact the resistance headquarters. They will arrive in a moments notice.” He disappeared as soon as he finished his lecture.

“I need to head back to the Quartz Palace anyway,” Crystal said as soon as she turned her head to Nights. “Not only do I need to see what’s been changed, but I need to get a certain gemstone for my mask. Care to be my escort?” Nights shook his head with a smile.

“Sorry Crystal, I can’t,” he responded telepathically. “Besides, you’ve got got the Shleep and Hollow with you. Someone has to stand guard at the Dream Gate and I need to get some good laps in while I’m on guard duty. It’s better than listening to old bird squawking on and on.” He did a chatting motion with his hand as he rolled his eyes.

“Says the former chatterbox,” Crystal retorted playfully with a smirk and wink. Nights shrugged at her remark with playful smile as both Cumula and Pidge giggled at her statement. Crystal then added, “In any case, I’ll be sure to contact you if Reala comes charging in my direction while I’m scouting out the dream world. Either that, or I’ll give him the slip with my newly acquired voyage.” Nights nodded in agreement with a beaming smile. The two hugged each other one more time before he flew into the air and created a portal through a paraloop. He waved good-bye as she waved back before flying through it, causing the vortex to vanish. Crystal giggled slightly.

“He’s got the mind of a child,” she told Pidge and Cumula, “but he’s also pretty mature at the same time.” She turned to her companions and asked, “Shall we go?” The two nodded in agreement, and the trio ran off in the direction of the exit. With a pep in her step, she departs for the Quartz Palace once more.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name Voyage was inspired by the Miraculous series. What Crystal calls Voyage however is actually called the Paraloop by the Nightmarens. So yes, Crystal is able to paraloop now. This only difference is that she can do so on the ground rather than in the air. She'll be putting it to good use in later chapters.


	15. Reala's Rude Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reala continues to watch Crystal as part of his mission. But when Crystal gives her name to another Nightmaren while he is observing her from afar, he begins to realize something that only he would know about. What does he plan to do with her now that he knows her by name?

Meanwhile, in the resistance base, Morganite and Seraphinite are both speaking with a spider-like Nightmaren. She had the upper torso of a woman, as well as the lower body of a spider with gray skin, four eyes that are all black except for her light blue pupils, hands with only the thumbs present, medium-length black hair, and two fangs sticking out of her mouth. She was wearing what appeared to be a black tank-top with a silver collar, and a pair of silver arm bracelets on the upper arms. The three were discussing something related to the resistance as well as Crystal.

“We’re a bit worried about her mental state when she goes dark,” said Morganite. “One minute she’s brave, the next thing you know, she freaks out. We’re thinking it’s gonna happen again if she gets another memory back.”

“That’s where you come in, Charlotte,” Seraphinite added. “Do you think you can make something that will, I don’t know, help her keep her cool? It has to be something she can wear all the time, like a ring, or a bracelet. And given her mother’s profession, maybe make it a bit stylish for her or something.” The spider Nightmaren, now known as Charlotte, thought it over for a moment before responding.

“I think I know just the thing,” she told them, her voice sounding French. “Prisma’s twilight diamond is known as a symbol of hope for our resistance, so I can incorporate that as a choker…” Seraphinite and Morganite both look at each other with a smile before saying, “That’s perfect!”

“Crystal’s going to love it!” Morganite said excitedly.

“A good luck charm, and a cool accessory?” Seraphinite added with elation. “You bet she will, sis!” She then circled the air creating a portal as she did, and used it to look around the base for any sign of Crystal. She checked the arena, the projection room, and even Hikaru’s research area. She noticed that she was entering the Quartz Palace with Cumula and Pidge in tow. Satisfied, though a bit weary that Crystal is out in about on her own, she exited the portal, closing it as she did.

“All right, she’s out on her own,” she told the two. “Let’s make this quick and easy you guys.” The other two nodded, and Seraphinite and Morganite both when to the crafting area to retrieve a pendant that looked identical to Prisma’s symbol. Charlotte, in the meantime, began to weave the base of the choker. Crystal was going to be in for a treat when she returns to headquarters.

Meanwhile, Crystal, Cumula, and Pidge have all made it to the Quartz Palace. The trio began to make their way over there, encountering hoards of 3rd Level Nightmarens along the way. After dispatching a few of these hoards, she and her companions proceed to the palace. They then heard a noise in the distance. Someone needed help. Brandishing her weapon, Crystal went in the direction of the noise. She can hear it coming from the Crystal Grove. After maneuvering past the emerald vines and jasper trees, she and her companions came across a strange sight while peeking from behind a tall smokey quartz cluster.

“Who is that?” Crystal said a little confused. Cumula and Pidge cower in fear upon seeing who or what she was talking about. It was a Nightmaren, and he looked similar in appearance to Nights, but his color scheme was sky-blue, orange, and white. He looked like an invisible creature, with only his large cape, hands, feet, hat, collar, blue eyes, and sharp-toothed mouth showing. The hat looked similar to Nights and Reala’s with the exception being that the tassels curved inward and forward. He also sported a bronze-yellow mask, which looked like two spades fused at the stems. Resting in the middle of the mask was an orange, spade-shaped gem.

“That is one strange looking Nightmaren,” Crystal told her companions with a confused tone. She observed the situation further and noticed a second Nightmaren in the area. He was the same rank as Nights, though his color scheme was quite different. He had yellow eyes, white skin, and sky blue hair. He wore a yellow, long-sleeved, skin-tight shirt, a pair of sky-blue pants, short gray boots, a gray collar, and a sky-blue and yellow caplet resting on his shoulders. He oddly enough wore some sky-blue lipstick to complete the look. He appeared to be trapped in a life-sized card, his expression frozen in fear and despair. Crystal can hear the trapped Nightmaren inside even though the image was frozen.

“Please somebody help me!” he cried out, his voice sounding a bit flamboyant.

“Hey, tell me where your base is, and I’ll stop zapping you, trouble-maker!” the other Nightmaren barked. His voice sounded scratchy and high-pitched as if he swallowed some helium.

“I told you,” cried the one in pain, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” The caped Nightmaren looked a little annoyed with his response.

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time,” he retorted. “You’re not part of the resistance, but you’re not wearing your persona either. So you better get with the program, or else!” He clenched his fist causing sparks of electricity to shoot from the card the Nightmaren was trapped in. A pained scream can be heard from inside the card itself. Crystal, not willing to let this slide, stepped out from behind her hiding spot, brandishing her Millennium Rod as she did so.

“Hey!” she shouted at the caped Nightmaren in question. “Doofus with the stupid cape! Let him go!” The caped Nightmaren looked in her direction in confusion as she ran up to the two with a stern look on her face. He looked at her more thoroughly as his expression changed to surprised realization.

“Hey, do I know you?” he told her. He then placed his hand on his non-existent chin as he stared at her with a confused look while adding, “You look really familiar.” Crystal ignored his comment and used her telekinesis to veer the card away from the caped Nightmaren. She then threw a fireball at the card trapping the captive Nightmaren, setting him free. He exhaled in relief as Crystal continued to speak sternly at the interrogator.

“You’re not very good at interrogating people, honey,” she told him. “Just who are you anyway?”

“Huh?” the caped Nightmaren spoke again. “You want to know who I am? Well, I’m Jackle of the Nightmaren army. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you our plans in case you’re one of them.” He looked intently at the Nightmaren she set free as soon as he said this. The Nightmaren in question cowered in fear as soon as he said this. Jackle then looked at Crystal and added, “Especially since you’re a Magician of Light visitor.”

“That’s none of your concern,” she told him. “He’s already told his alibi, so if I were you, I’d let him be and move on, not keep beating a dead horse.” Jackle gave a blank stare upon hearing her words. He looked to the Nightmaren he was attacking before and muttered under his breath, “Ah, this is a waste of time.” He did a shooing motion to the Nightmaren as he said this causing him to back away behind a jasper tree. Jackle looked at Crystal and added, “Count yourself lucky kid. Next time you get in the way though, say goodbye to that Ideya of yours.” He twirled around in a circle, turning himself in a life-sized card before vanishing before their eyes. Crystal turned to the Nightmaren still hiding behind the jasper tree, as well as Cumula and Pidge.

“You can all come out now,” she told them with a smile. The 1st Level Nightmaren came out from behind the jasper tree as soon as she said this. Cumula and Pidge followed suit from their hiding spot as well. The Nightmaren she saved rubbed the back of his head as if he was embarrassed by the whole thing.

“I deeply apologize for that, visitor,” he told her. “I didn’t think anyone would hear me with that brute trapping in that card.” Crystal gave a slight giggle upon hearing him. The Nightmaren then added, “Thank goodness you are a Magician of Light, or you would’ve have been able to fight without a blue-chip handy.” Crystal nodded in agreement upon hearing this statement.

“What was that interrogation about?” she asked him. “Anything besides the resistance, please.” He nodded in understanding, knowing full well of what she meant.

“I was just on my merry way toward the Quartz Palace to practice a few mares,” he told her. “As I did, I must have forgotten to bring my persona replica, as Jackle had mistaken me for a member of the resistance. I tried to tell him it was a complete misunderstanding, though sadly, it had fallen on deaf ears. You’ve already witnessed the rest of the encounter first hand.” Crystal could tell from his words that he was speaking nothing but the truth.

“Well, he could have been more lenient and listened,” she said to him. “That would’ve made things a lot simpler.” The Nightmaren nodded while adding, “Very much agreed.” He then realized something.

“Forgive me for not saying this earlier, visitor,” he told her, “but my name is Larimar. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Crystal replied politely.

Meanwhile, only thirty feet away from Crystal and Larimar, there was a part of the grove that the former hadn’t explored yet. A life-sized card had just appeared in it and spun around once before forming Jackle once more. He exhaled a bit with his eyes closed after using his power. As he relaxed for a bit, he heard a whooshing sound as if someone was flying right to him. Landing right behind the caped Nightmaren was Reala, who had just crossed his arms with a smile.

“Reala,” Jackle spoke as he opened his eyes. “You’re on the clock too?” Reala grinned at his comment and replied with, “I am.” Jackle turned his head to his ally, and told him, “Small world.” He turned around to face Reala fully and brushed some dust off his cape.

“The kid you’ve been stalking has just been spotted,” he told him. “She just cut my interrogation with another Nightmaren short. I have to admit, she’s a little spitfire for Magician of Light. Follow me.” He then flew in the general direction of where Crystal and Larimar were located. Reala followed him through the grove until they were least ten feet away from the group.

“She’s over there,” Jackle told him while pointing at the young princess. Reala looked over at Crystal then at Larimar. He chuckled slightly over what the latter had spoken about. He looked at Jackle with a playful smirk.

“Had him mistaken for a defiant, have we?” he asked him.

“He wasn’t wearing his persona at the time,” Jackle explained. “I was just doing my job.” He shrugged with a smile as he said this. Reala chuckled slightly upon hearing his ally’s excuse. He then turned to Crystal, who was still speaking to Larimar. _You truly are an interesting visitor, my dear. I hadn’t even read your inner thoughts yet nor do I even know your name. Your nightmares should be rather interesting._

“Quick question,” Jackle spoke. “Do you recognize the kid at all?”

“Don’t be foolish, Jackle,” Reala responded. “Every visitor is different from one another. I can hardly keep track of everyone but my targets.”

“Eh, fair enough,” Jackle replied while shirking off his earlier comment. The two continued to listen to the conversation between Crystal and Larimar.

“If you ever find yourself in trouble again,” Crystal told Larimar, “just do what you just did, and call out to someone for help. My ears are like a rabbit. I’ll hear you from a mile away.”

“Oh I will,” Larimar replied. He then bowed to her and added, “Thank you so much for rescuing me, visitor. I truly appreciate it.” Cumula and Pidge both giggled at him for the gesture.

“Enough with the visitor nonsense,” Crystal said playfully and a hint of politeness while waving her hand in front of her face in embarrassment with her eyes closed. She opened her eyes as she said the last part, “It’s Princess Crystal.” Reala’s eyes widened upon hearing the name, his face giving out a shocked expression.

“Whoa!” Jackle yelped in surprise while his cape briefly jumped out behind him before landing back on his collar. “That rang like a bell!” He turned to Reala and noticed his expression matched his. He then pointed at him adding, “You too!” He turned to Crystal and added, “We better tell Wizeman about this.” He then flew into the air and swirled his hand around to create a vortex for him to go through. He then turned to a still shocked Reala who had by now had noticed his partner about to leave.

“I’ll meet you back in Nightmare!” he called out to him. He then entered the portal and closed it shut behind him leaving Reala alone. He looked at his hand as he pondered over what he had just overheard. He was reasonably perplexed.

“How can she bear the name of another visitor?” he asked himself. “This one narrowly escaped our grasp twelve years ago before her disappearance. Unless…” He then remembered the object that fell from Cerberus’ kennel and the same expression he had upon learning Crystal’s name returned. He looked at Crystal once more just in time to see her part ways with Larimar, Cumula, and Pidge in tow. He then said, “Could it be?” He watched as Crystal ran towards the direction of the Quartz Palace, unaware that she had caused her own chaos.

Crystal had just made it to the Quartz Palace and has made it to the front of the gate. The gate itself was made of what appeared to be blue moon quartz. As for the palace itself, the walls were made entirely of pink diamonds, with the tops of the towers and shutters being made of rose quartz. The windows were made of a clear, beautiful stain-glass, depicting the coat of arms for Ophelia, a lilac-colored Pegasus dressed in a jeweled collar, and a violet mantle. Crystal raised her hand, showing her Ideya of Courage in the process. This caused the gate to open the way for her.

“Shall we see what’s beyond the walls of the palace?” she asked her companions. Cumula and Pidge bleated and cawed as if to say yes. Crystal added, “Good. It’s been a while since I explored the inside.” She looked back at the palace and smiled.

“As a kid, this is how I imagined Ophelia Castle,” she told them. “Now it represents my strong mind and heart.” She closed her eyes with a pleased smile while placing her hand over her heart. She then added, “I have a lot of great memories here. So this will be a great trip down memory lane.” Crystal then opened her eyes and went to the large door. After showing her hand to the doorway, letting her Ideya of Courage shine once more, the large door opened inward, and she and her Nightmaren allies entered the palace together. As soon as they entered, the large door closed right behind them.

In Wizeman’s chamber, Wizeman is seen watching Crystal enter the Quartz Palace through one of his palms. As he observed her further, one of his hands was under his metallic chin as if he was thinking about something. He was deep in thought. Suddenly, Jackle’s vortex appeared below him, and he looked in its direction as Jackle filled through.

“Master Wizeman!” Jackle he shouted to him as he closed his palm, dispersing the image. “We got some news to tell you about that kid! It’s important, I swear!”

“Calm yourself, Jackle,” Wizeman boomed. “Speak your mind of this news.” Jackle did as instructed and relaxed for a brief moment before speaking once more. One of Wizeman’s palms went to Jackle to observe his creation as he opened his mouth, though Jackle wasn’t at all afraid of his master.

“First off,” he replied with a blank stare, “apologies for barging in like that. That was rude on my part.” He then changed his expression to one of frantic surprise as he said, “Second, that girl you mentioned earlier, that you said you remembered, and the kid that pulled a Houdini twelve years ago? It’s just as you said! The little kid, and that spitfire are the same girl! The kid’s all grown up and is back in Nightopia! Coincidence, I think not!” Wizeman drew back his palm and made a sound as if he was pleased with this news. Jackle smiled with his eyes while crossing his invisible arms and nodding. As he did this, Reala’s vortex appeared right next to him as his voice chimed in.

“If I may interject, Master,” he said as he rose from the vortex with his arms crossed. “I would like to add to our findings. The girl’s memories appeared to have tampered with by our late adversary. It is as if the events had been erased from her mind. With your permission, I wish to reawaken them further.”

“So be it, Reala,” said Wizeman. “If the girl’s memories have indeed been tampered with, I will send some 2nd Level Nightmarens that mirror her current fears. Some will contain the memories that have been removed from her mind.” Jackle playfully bumped Reala’s arm while chuckling slightly. Reala chuckled in response to his playful nature.

“As for you, Jackle,” Wizeman spoke once again. “You are tasked with gathering allies for our cause. The girl has made some enemies in the Waking World, and only three know her all too well from many battles against her. You will bring them to me should you find them. Go at once.”

“As you wish, Master,” Reala and Jackle replied while bowing in unison.

To be continued…


	16. Exploring Her Old Dream World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal is exploring the Quartz Palace itself, and she is getting a feel of how it was in the past before it began to reflect her mansion. While she is doing this, she reminiscences about her past and present. Meanwhile, a dark shadow is following her at every corner.

Back in the Quartz Palace, Crystal had just entered the foyer along with Cumula and Pidge. She can see the crystalline furniture decorating the foyer, all made of different types of gemstones. The statues were made of turquoise, much like the statues in the garden, the walls where topaz, the pillars were made with citrine, the staircase leading to the balcony were made of amethyst, the doors were opal, and the chandelier was made of emerald. Crystal smiled in satisfaction as she looked around the foyer.

“The interior is almost identical to the Lee family mansion,” she said to herself. She pondered for a moment while adding, “I wonder if that mirror maze is still active.” She began walking toward the staircase, her three-inch heels clicking against the crystalline floor. She walked up the staircase with Cumula and Pidge following close behind her. She made it to the top of the staircase and went to the right of the balcony area, opening the opal door in front of her to get a better look inside. The hallway she and her Nightmaren friends had entered was made of blue moon quartz for the walls and amethyst for the floor. The pictures on the walls had her family members as well, each represented with their birthstone below their picture. She read them one at a time, starting with the picture of a woman with auburn red hair done in a ponytail, and the same golden-yellow eyes as Crystal. All of Crystal’s family members had that exact eye color.

“My mom, Queen Lorelei,” she commented. “She is our family matriarch. She is the current queen of our people and she’s always looked out for them first. She has psychic and light magic, both of which I inherited from her. And, much like me, she has a Shining Heart. If she dreamed of this place, she would be classified as a Twilight Dreamer as well.” She then looked at the picture of the man next to her’s. This man was quite muscular with short, brown hair as if it was buzz-cut, and yellow eyes. Unlike the woman, his skin was as blue as the night in the portrait, even though it should have been as pale as Crystal’s in the real world. He also had a pair of large, bat-like wings on his back, along with chest armor.

“That’s my dad, King David,” she stated. “He’s also in charge of Ophelia. As a bonus, he’s also the captain of the royal guard. He’s living proof that royalty can still serve their people in the front lines. What’s cool though is the fact that he’s a gargoyle. He is the Gargoyle King. How awesome is that? Gargoyles mainly use dark and earth magic, but in my dad’s case, he also has spirit magic.” She looked at the young, teenage boy with long brown hair in a low ponytail. He was wearing black and silver as part of his attire.

“My big brother, Michael,” she remarked. “He’s a very understanding young man, especially since he acts as the big brother to anyone who looked up to him. This is a rarity, but he’s one of the few male Magicians of Light to be born with spirit magic, a power he uses well in seances.” She looked at the portrait next to it, and it was of her with her usual attire. Her hair in the portrait was a short bob as opposed to her current hair length.

“That’s me,” she said. “Here’s a fun fact for you guys.” She turned to Cumula and Pidge as she said, “I’m a triplet. The eldest of the three to be exact. The other two are two to four minutes apart from me.” She then looked at the portrait of a girl that looked near-identical to Crystal. Her hair, which was brown, and lacked the blonde streaks that Crystal was known for, was so long that it went straight to her ankles.

“That’s Kayla, the middle of the trio,” she stated. “She was born two minutes after me. She only has wind magic and is a ballerina. I’d say she’s far better at dancing than me.” She then looked at the picture of Zephyr right next to Kayla’s.

“There’s Zephyr, the youngest of the triplets,” she remarked. “He’s always been a goofball. But I love him anyway. He’s a fellow Elemental Magician of Light and is well-known for his claymore, the Tempest Cleaver. There was no battle where he foregoes using this weapon.” She then looked at the portrait of Jessica, which was right next to Zephyr’s. Crystal smiled.

“That’s Jessica, my second younger sister,” she stated. “She is a total sweetheart. I’ve known her since the day my parents picked me up from the orphanage. Don’t let her appearance of a damsel in distress fool you. If she’s about to be kidnapped, she’ll fight back for a bit before she is captured. Even then, she’s bound to try and break free. She’s also well-known for her beautiful singing voice, even though her powers are earth and plant magic. A deadly combination for sure.” She then looked at the final portrait, this time of a young man who looked to be the male version of Jessica. The only exception was the fact that he had a shorter height, as well as black and white as his attire.

“The last one is Ficus,” she said. “Odd name, I know, but he is the youngest out of all of us. He’s quite a smart kid and even does lots of homework in his spare time. Ironically, he has a plant for a name, even though his powers are light and darkness. This classifies him as a twilight mage.” She looked to her allies and smiled.

“That’s all the family members I can show you,” she told them. “Let’s check out some more areas.” She and her two companions then began to explore more of the palace in hopes of discovering more secrets. She made a beeline for the end of the hallway and managed to through the door leading to what appeared to be a portrait area. On the walls was a rogues gallery of some kind, each villain lining the walls of the room. Crystal was amazed at this. This is identical to the Hall of Infamy back in the mansion, she thought. Her Nightmaren pets were in awe of the villains lining the walls. Some were of the past, and others were from the present. Crystal walked up to each of the portraits in order of appearance, starting with one of a young man with snow-white hair and brown eyes.

“That’s the Avatar of Zorc the Dark one,” she explained to her companions. “Better known as Akefia, or Zorc-face as I call him, he was a thief who is known to steal the souls of those who cross his path via the Millennium Ring. He was after the entire Millennium Seven before his untimely demise. He is deceased as of three years ago, but he’s set to make a return three weeks from now. My vision told me so.” She then walked over to another portrait, this time of a man whose features mirror that of Twila, but with green eyes instead of yellow like Twila. He also wore red like Casper.

“That is Arkana, soon to be my late father in law,” she explained. “He tried to steal my powers to get revenge against his twin brother Mahad. He was successful the second time, but thanks to my perseverance, he was done for. He is also deceased at this time, but he did return for a brief moment before his demise.” Cumula noticed an image of a young man with long, black hair with cyan blue streaks in it, which was tied into a ponytail. He also had cyan blue eyes.

“That’s my ex-boyfriend, Aricolumn,” she explained. “He tried to bring about an eternal winter using my soul as his conduit, essentially placing the world in sub-zero. If it hadn’t been for my friends, I would have remained soulless for the rest of my life. Luckily, I have a fiance and I love him very much.” She beamed upon mentioning her fiance. Cumula and Pidge both snickered upon hearing this.

“Yes, I’m engaged at seventeen, shut up,” Crystal sassed the duo a little with a pout. The duo then bleated and cawed as if teasing her. She then looked at the next portrait. It was a woman dressed in black and gray, as well as a man dressed in the same colors. Both had black hair and gray eyes, and their attire was decorated in the suit of the Club.

“Queen Esmeralda and her son Prince Adrien,” she told them. “Both had a very misguided path. They tried to take over Wonderland thinking that they deserved to be treated far better than the rest of the suits. After some convincing on everyone’s part, mine included, they finally took the hint. They’re allies now, but back in the early days, they were considered a threat to our people.” She then looked at the next portrait. This one had a girl that looked like a spitting image of Crystal with several changes to her appearance. She had her original short-bobbed haircut, but it was black with silvery-white streaks. She had silvery-white eyes, and she wore black lipstick. Then there was her attire in which she dressed as a Gothic child; a black long-sleeved shirt with a red rhombus design, a red plaid skirt, a pair of gray tights, and a pair of black, three-inch heeled boots. She even wore silver jewelry as part of her attire.

“That is my doppelganger Ruby,” she explained. “She was supposed to be my final sister in the quartet, but she was miscarried due to an abundance of dark energy. After nearly hijacking my body at the age of two, we were separated by my godfather. She’s essentially what would happen if I took a much darker path than I’m taking right now. Same powers, and the same classification as an Elemental, but of an entirely different species altogether.” Cumula and Pidge shuddered. They knew she was a pure and kind soul, to begin with, but knew the risk of her becoming just as villainous as Reala. They then spot an area with a rather large group of six portraits together in one room. They all had violet eyes, and half had black hair while the other half had hair that matched their attire. Crystal knew what it was right away, and she leads her two allies straight to it.

“This group is known as the Malevolent Shadows,” she explained. “They are the tyrannical members of the Dark Empire Royal family known to bring fear and misery to their people and the mortals in the Waking World. Some are still at large, while the main six that we see here are deceased. Let’s go over them one by one, shall we?” Cumula and Pidge both nodded in agreement. She pointed to a woman dressed in violet wearing a rather large, violet crown. She wore red lipstick and had her black hair in a low bun.

“Here’s Queen Violet,” Crystal spoke up. “She is the late ruler of Scarborough. Known as the Raven Queen, she ruled her country well, but was heavily misguided, more so than the earlier mentioned Queen Esmeralda. She mainly used psychic and dark magic, but thanks to the Shadow Sisters, she’s classified as an Elemental as well.” She looked over at a young man dressed in silver. His hair was silvery white.

“That’s Prince Argent, also known as the Silver Knight,” Crystal remarked. “He’s the twin brother of our ally Prince Or, the eldest to be precise. He has no known ruling country to speak of aside from ruling Lunarvale alongside his mother and father. If memory serves me well, he was in the Dark Empire Royal Army before his untimely demise.” She looked at the two portraits in between him and a little girl in magenta and dark magenta. The woman looked like she was wearing brown, but the armor seemed to glint in the portrait. She also had auburn red wavy hair that seemed to go down to her waist. The man had a beard as black as his hair and wore mostly black and dark gray. Both had stern faces as if they were filled with contempt.

“Those two are Prince Argent’s parents,” Crystal explained. “King Noir, and Queen Bronze. They were the rulers of Lunarvale back in the Dark Empire, and they ruled it with an iron fist. They were feared the most by their people and King Noir in particular was responsible for destroying Ophelia. It doesn’t help that King Noir is a manakete either. Needless to say, they were a threat, to begin with. If you say their names, you’re bound to get some shudders.” Cumula and Pidge were both a little scared of the statement. Crystal then looked at the little girl next to the woman. She had magenta hair and only half of her face was shown due to the left side of her face being covered by her bangs. Despite this, her hair was the same length as Crystal’s original hair length.

“That’s Rosa,” she told them. “She is the youngest daughter of King Noir and Queen Bronze and overall the youngest of the Malevolent Shadows. Don’t let her age fool you for a second. She is a dangerous little girl. Not only is she manipulative, but she can also be quite intelligent to boot. Her venom can be quite dangerous if taken lightly.” She then looked at one last portrait. This one was of a handsome man dressed in red. He wore dark red armor, boots, and gloves, a red tunic with a salmon-red mid-riff, red pants, a salmon-red cloak, and he wore a large, dark-red, ruby-centered crown. He appeared to be holding a sword in his left hand while his right hand contained some dark energy.

“And finally, Queen Violet’s elder twin brother,” Crystal stated, “King Rhett Rene Manson II. My arch-nemesis. He’s a manakete, much like King Noir, but he is even more of a tyrant than his uncle and aunt combined. He ruled Dracosletum for a while before his untimely demise at my hand, and that’s outside the Dark Empire. If you ever see him on the streets unarmed, good luck trying to face him on your own.” Cumula and Pidge shuddered at the thought. Crystal looked around for more foes to talk about, but found no one. She and her allies made for the door and exited. Little did they know that someone, who was not a Nightmaren, was watching them from afar. Although the being was all in shadow, he stared directly at Crystal as she exited the room with Cumula and Pidge in tow. The shadow appeared to be wearing a cloak and a large head-piece on his head. The only thing shown of this shadow was his eyes. They were glowing red with malevolence. He grinned as she exited the room, and he was intent on harming the girl.

Crystal continued to delve into her palace even further through the pink diamond stone hallways. She was able to go through each hallway with ease due to her experience. After a few hoard battles against some Nightmarens, she and her allies crossed a make-shift bridge made of moving tiles and platforms. They hopped across with ease and careful timing, and come across a door to the next room. She and her friends managed to make it through and after careful observation, she realized that she was in a maze filled with mirrors. It wasn’t an ordinary mirror maze at all, however, as it was a maze of hallways lined with mirrors of all shapes and sizes. She was relieved.

“Oh good, it’s still here after all this time,” she spoke to herself. “I used to run through here all the time as a kid.” She began to run through the hallway she was in and she turned to the left to see what was in store. What she saw was a clearing with what appeared to be a table and chair in the middle. She looked a bit closer to see a key and a note. She looked over at the note and approached it to read it further. To her amusement, it was written backward.

“Taking a page from Through the Looking Glass, eh?” she said to herself. She took the note and key, the latter of which she put in her bag for safekeeping. Crystal then walked up to one of the mirrors; a medium sized mirror next to the table. She held the note up to it and read it aloud;

“Look toward the danger with a heart of pure light. An Ideya that is lost will be found in plain sight.”

Crystal raised an eyebrow at this phrase with a slight, “Huh.” Cumula and Pidge snickered a little at the note, as they knew what the note was talking about. They nudged her a little in unison as if being playful. Crystal looked at them with a playful smirk. Suddenly, she saw a strange white light coming from another room to the left of the area. She and her companions went back into the maze and head toward the area, stashing the note away in the process.

Crystal made turn after turn to reach the glowing area, guided by the light itself. She and her companions managed to make it past another area before stopping in front of the door. She pushed it hard and beyond it was a straightforward hallway lined with stain-glass windows and mirrors she noticed that one of them was glowing a bright white light. _Is that my Ideya? Seems a bit too easy,_ she thought. She approached it very carefully and brandished her Millennium Rod just to be safe. She wasn’t about to take any chances, especially if a Nightmaren was about to strike. She stopped in front of the mirror as it began to glow and form into something. The image began to replace the mirror and it showed two familiar faces, a man who was grinning proudly at her while crossing his arms, and a woman who was waving and beaming enthusiastically. Crystal gasped in surprise and delight as the image shaped them further until completion.

“Mom! Dad!” she shouted in relief. Her mother then stopped waving and blew on the glass until it was foggy. She then used her finger to write a message on it for her daughter as Crystal watched with an open heart, glistening eyes, and a smile. Her mother wrote the following to her back to let her daughter guess;

“We love you, sweetheart.”

Her mother beamed at her while her father winked in unison. The image disappears soon after leaving her alone once more. Crystal gasped in confusion while placing her free hand on the mirror. She was certain there was more than her parents wanted to say, but she felt that they had very little time to speak to her. She closed her eyes and smiled a hopeful smile while sighing in relief. She placed her forehead on the mirror.

“I love you too,” she said quietly her Ideya of Courage resonating within her. Cumula and Pidge nudged her as well, the latter of which was catching a stray tear running down her cheek. Crystal looked at her companions and said, “Thanks for keeping me company, you two.” After putting the Millennium Rod back on the holster, she pats her two allies on the head. While she did this, they hear a rather large door open behind them. Crystal turned in the sound’s direction and peered in. Inside was what appeared to be an arena of sorts. She wasn’t fooled, however, as she discovered that there were crystal clear blocks lined up on the bottom, top, and side of the arena.

“Looks like a good place to practice my Voyage,” she told Cumula and Pidge. “Come on.” She and her Shleep and Hollow piled in together right before the door closed right behind them. She walked up to one of the blocks and using her Tornado, she propelled herself on top of the block much to the surprise of Cumula and Pidge. Crystal looked over at the array of blocks and focused her energy. She said, “Voyage.” She then turned her arm in a circle, and it created a vortex once the circle was made. She then dove right into it, and it closed soon after. Her vortex appeared over a different block and fell through it. She then did another vortex and did the same. After practicing her Voyage for about ten seconds, she noticed a black shadow moving around the room. She managed to go through her final vortex before stopping right in front of the black shadow.

“What on earth is this?” she asked. The shadow moved around her, and she stared at it as it circled her. She could have sworn that she heard the ringing of a bell as it circled her. It stopped in front of her and the head of a Nightmaren pokes up from it, with only the top part showing. It was a white-skinned Nightmaren with black hair, and unlike the others, she had eyes of a rabbit instead of a cat. She also wore a silver mask with a hexagonal rainbow quartz gem in the middle. Crystal can hear giggling from the shadow beneath her.

“Do I know you?” she inquired suspiciously. The Nightmaren blinked playfully as she shook her head. Crystal was a little annoyed at her response. She then asked, “You’re another one of Nights’ siblings aren’t you?” The Nightmaren giggled a bit confirming her suspicion.

“Who are you, and why are you here?” she asked sternly. “If it’s about my Ideya, I refuse to surrender it to the likes of you. I need it to keep my dreamworlds active.” Crystal’s Ideya of Courage lit up in her hand as she said this. The Nightmaren shook her head again giggling a little at her conviction. Cumula and Pidge looked at her with a perplexed look.

“I know you haven’t caused any trouble,” Crystal told her, “but I don’t appreciate being stalked. So I would suggest you make like a bee, and buzz off.” The mysterious Nightmaren’s eyes were shut halfway as if she was taunting the princess.A hand carrying a note wrapped in a ribbon came out from her shadow. Her hand was the same color as her face, and she appeared the be wearing a sleeve with a triangle cuff on the hand portion. She dropped the note at Crystal’s feet as she looked up at her with a pair of playful eyes. She beamed as she waved her hand at her to say good-bye, and dove back into her shadow. The shadow veered back to the door and slipped under it, disappearing. Crystal looked at the note she had left for her.

“Well, looks like we’ve met our mysterious pen pal,” she told Cumula and Pidge. She then knelt to grab the note, and after going back up, she unraveled the ribbon and opened it. Once again, the message was written backward. Luckily for Crystal, there was a mirror close by. She ran up to it and held it in front to read the message.  
  


“To seek the answer to your fractured past, you must always save your captor for last. If you strike your enemy far too soon, your nightmare will consume your purest moon.”

Crystal was once again confused at the statement. Never the less, she said, “That is one serious warning. I think we have ourselves a poet on our hands here.” She stashed the note away just in case, and she continued to train herself with the voyage. Cumula and Pidge watched as she continued to make vortex after vortex, diving into one and out the other in a way to perfect her craft.

While Crystal continued to practice, the same shadowy man that was watching her can be seen doing just that. He stared at her with a malicious grin on his face. As he watched her perform her move, he felt a tug on his cloak. He looked in the direction of who it was. It was the same playful Nightmaren that Crystal had chastised earlier, only her entire top part can be seen peeking from the shadow below him. Her hair seemed to be ankle-length, and she was wearing a gray leotard with a black collar, a bell underneath it, and silver sleeves. Below her little bell was a four-starred rainbow quartz gem. She looked up at him with a smile and waved to him while beaming. She dove back into her shadow for a brief moment before coming back out with a second note. She placed it on the table next to the shadowy man, then winked at him before diving back in and moving her shadow away from him.

The man was a bit annoyed at her presence but looked to the note she had left for him. He took it and undid the ribbon before shaking it down to unravel it. After looking at the contents more carefully, a smile formed on his face as he looked at his adversary one last time. He then placed the note in his cloak pocket and wrapped it around himself before disappearing into thin air. He seemed to have gotten the message and was intent on obeying it for his benefit.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Void makes her debut here along with another mysterious character. She belongs to Squidderdoodle of DeviantART. Shout out to her for the character.


	17. An Alliance is Formed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reala has just recruited Ruby and Aricolumn to his cause, even though they were brought to Wizeman the Wicked against their will. His goal is to learn about Crystal's fears, even in the darkest reaches of her mind. Meanwhile, he is approached by a mysterious figure who decided to bargain with Reala. Will they form an alliance, or will they be enemies?

Back in Nightmare, Wizeman, Reala, and Pandora were waiting patiently for Jackle to arrive back from his mission. As they waited a bit, a shadow appeared below them. Pandora looked over at the shadow as it circled the area playfully. She laughed a little at the sight. 

“Reala, you’re baby sister’s here,” she told him. Reala took notice of the shadow and when straight to it to investigate. He too immediately recognized who this shadow belonged to.

“Ah, Void,” Reala spoke to it. “Still playing hide and seek, are you?” A head poked out from the small shadow as she playfully jingled her bell. She beamed at Reala with a pleased looked.

“Here I am, big brother,” she said to him playfully. She jumped out from her shadow revealing the rest of her clothing. She seemed to be wearing black tights with her leotard. She also had the same rainbow quartz star on her knees as well as a pair of white, high-heeled pumps. Her ankle-length hair seemed to disappear into inky blots as if they were black clouds. Pandora flew right up to her and hugged her from behind causing her to cheep playfully.

“Did you get the message to one of her enemies?” she asked playfully.

“Yep yep!” Void replied. The two nuzzled each other as Reala chuckled at the sight. One of Wizeman’s hand approached Void and pet the young Nightmaren gently. Suddenly, Jackle’s vortex appeared in the chamber, and he flew through. Floating right beside him were a pair of cages, each containing a different bird; the one on the left contained a snowy owl, and the other had a raven. They were both in quite a bit of distress.

“Well, that took me a bit to get back,” Jackle told the group with an annoyed tone. He looked up to Wizeman and Reala and spoke once again, “I managed to get the first two informants here, but not without them fighting back. Hence the cages.” He pointed his thumb at the two birds who were hooting and cawing in anger.

“Informant number three is on his way over,” he added while looking to Void who was beaming, “thanks to Void relaying to message for me.” Void giggled a little upon hearing the compliment. Reala looked at the two birds as he approached them. They looked up at him with anger and surprise respectively. With a snap of his fingers, the cages were destroyed. The owl and raven transformed into humans immediately after. The raven became the aforementioned Ruby, who was dressed in a Gothic witch-like dress with gray tights, and black strapped pumps. She even wore black lipstick and had her nails painted black. The owl on the other hand became Crystal’s ex-lover Aricolumn. His black, cyan-streaked hair was still as busy as ever, especially since he kept in a ponytail. He was wearing cyan-blue and blue as part of his attire; a cyan-blue vest over a blue medium-sleeved shirt, and icicle necklace around his neck, a pair of cyan-blue jeans, and a pair of black boots. The former collapsed to the ground exhausted.

“Hoo!” Ruby exclaimed. “Thank Ra we’re out!” Aricolumn was very angry at the situation at hand as he looked up to Wizeman in a furry.

“Wizeman! What’s the meaning of this?!” he demanded.

“Calm yourself, Aricolumn,” Wizeman spoke. “Jackle was tasked with gathering those who were adversaries to our mutual foe. Since her departure from Nightopia, her fears have more than likely been altered over time. That is where you will be more useful.”

“If that’s the case,” Ruby told him with a blank stare, “you should have been a bit nicer about it. Not just have one of your minions drag us out here without our consent.” Jackle playfully bumped Reala in response to Ruby’s comment as the latter chuckled. Aricolumn was a bit relaxed now that he had heard Wizeman’s reason.

“You propose a partnership,” he stated, “yet you have not specified on who is our mutual enemy. We need only an image, or name.”

“That can easily be shown here and now,” Wizeman spoke again, his hand approaching the duo and opening an image in its’ eye. The image showed Crystal wrapping up her training with the move Voyage. She and her allies Cumula and Pidge all piled back into the door to explore the Quartz Palace further. Ruby recognized her right away despite the change in hair-length.

“Hey, that’s my good twin, Crystal!” she exclaimed upon seeing her.

“Princess Crystal?” Aricolumn inquired. “A rather strange target considering her status as a Valkyrie.” He looked to Wizeman.

“I will warn you that she is quite a powerful warrior by trait,” he told him.

“We are aware of her power and how it can be fatal to our kind,” Wizeman told him as he drew his hand back dispersing the image. “However, she bears what is known as the Dark Ideya, and therefore, should we ignite it while she is in a state of fear and anguish, she will be far easier to control.” Reala turned to Wizeman with a grin as his master spoke again.

“Reala,” he told him. “You will escort them to your realm. He will be allied with them to learn more about the enemy you face in battle. Do you have your objective?”

“With great pleasure, Master Wizeman,” Reala responded while bowing to him. He then looked to Ruby and Aricolumn with a grin as the former looked to the latter.

“All right, let’s get going,” said Ruby who was a little unsure if she could trust him. She began to walk to the doorway with Void and Pandora leading her right to it. Aricolumn looked up at Reala with a stern look as she said this while the red and black jester approached him.

“Shall we?” Reala asked with a grin.

“Only if you promise not to double-cross us,” Aricolumn told him. Reala chuckled.

“I make no promises on that, Aricolumn,” he told him as he floated past the boy. He turned to him and told him, “Follow me.” The two went to the door that Ruby, Void, and Pandora were waiting by and the door opened for them. They exit the chamber together as the door sealed itself shut once more.

Meanwhile, Crystal had just finished training herself with the move Voyage. She and her allies were both exploring the Quartz Palace hallways together and they were enamored by the layout of the entire palace. They have just come across a beautiful ballroom, and she looked over at the chandelier above the floor as well as the tapestries lining the walls. The walls were rainbow quartz, the chandelier was made of tanzanite, and the tapestries were decorated with topazes.

“This would be perfect for practicing the Waltz,” she told them. Cumula and Pidge bleated and cawed in agreement. She looked around to see that there were chairs lined in a row at one end of the ballroom. She is exploring the ballroom and she looked over at the tapestries in amazement. After looking around for a few seconds, she walked directly under the chandelier. She then began to dance under it and practiced a bit while the waltz began to play in her mind. She was pretending to dance with a partner as she was letting him lead her around the room. _Un, Deux, Trois,_ she counted in her mind. _Un, Deux, Trois. Un, Deux, Trois._

As Crystal counted her steps, Cumula and Pidge looked on, enamored by her grace as she did each step of her dance. Little did they know that someone was watching intently. It was a shadow of a Nightmaren, and they seemed to be set on her movements. They looked on as she continued to dance around the ballroom. She kept her pace as her Nightmaren companions looked on in awe. As she was about to finish her dance, a voice rang out calling to her.

“Crystal!” the voice called to her calmly and lovingly. Crystal stopped suddenly as she stared into the wall of the ballroom. She could have sworn that she heard her mother. She called back, “Mom?” No answer came. Only silence remained in the room. Crystal sighed in humor and relief.

“Just Nightopia playing a trick on me,” she told herself. Cumula and Pidge approached her with concerned faces, wondering why she had stopped her dance. Crystal patted her two companions for reassurance. She then told them, “I think that’s enough dancing for now. Let’s check out the other rooms. Then we’ll find we I need for a certain accessory.” She and the two Nightmarens went straight for the door and exited the ballroom to continue the exploration. The Nightmaren watching them emerged from their hiding spot. He was the same rank as Nights with noticeable changes. His navy-blue hat’s tassels were much longer and had golden bangles decorated in sections. He wore a facial silver crest on his forehead, which looked similar to the top part of a knight’s helmet, and he wore a long, white, trench coat that seemed to be decorated with vines. He wore navy-blue toed white boots, and he also wore a pair of navy-blue, skin-tight pants. His gloves were also navy-blue but were decorated with vines. The back of each glove had a blue gem in the middle. Resting on his chest was a blue gem. His eyes were green with what appeared to be swashes of black eyeliner beneath them, and his skin was white as snow.

This Nightmaren was impressed with her dance skill. But he also knew that she was all alone in this dream world, and something in his heart told her that this would not be so. He when straight for the same door that she and her companions exited and began to follow them at a distance. He had no intention of doing any harm to the girl.

Meanwhile, Reala had just taken both Aricolumn and Ruby to his Nightmarish lair. Ruby was in awe of how maliciously chaotic the scenery was while Aricolumn was looking around with a stern look. He knew more about this realm more than his mutual ally as he had explored it at quite a young age without the Nightmarens detecting him. They made their way to a certain location in Reala’s realm before stopping at his torchlight. Reala turned around to face the duo as he floated down to their eye level with a sly smile.

“Now then,” he told them, “let’s get on to the business at hand, shall we? As you are no doubt aware, the three of us have a common enemy to contend with. Princess Crystal has recently defeated one of our most vicious Nightmarens, the hell-hound Cerberus. Though sadly, she showed no signs of any fear toward the beast at the beginning and end of this battle. This is where you both come in, along with our third informant who has yet to arrive.”

“So you want all three of us to tell you what she’s scared of?” asked Ruby slightly confused at his bargain.

“Precisely,” Reala replied. Aricolumn looked at him intently, not trusting the malevolent jester one bit. Reala spoke again, “And perhaps even more interesting, she was unable to awaken from her nightmare. Care to explain that?” Ruby gave him a blank stare as he said this.

“You didn’t get the memo, did you?” she asked him. “Crystal’s in the hospital thanks to a tulpa attack. They started her medical coma treatment seven hours ago.” Reala gave a look of brief surprise upon hearing her remark before chuckling. Aricolumn and Ruby stared at him upon hearing him chuckle.

“Oopsie!” he replied. “I didn’t think she would be caught up in my yearly tulpa storm.” Ruby’s eyes widened in surprise as Aricolumn looked at him sternly.

“What?” she exclaimed a little.

“You’re the mastermind behind these tulpas?” he inquired.

“Guilty as charged,” Reala stated. “How else would I know who the next prey would fear the most?” He summoned a piece of cloth as he removed his mask to clean the gem in the middle, while adding, “It’s a shame I didn’t get to witness the events that unfolded soon after releasing my storm.”

“Well, good luck asking us for any information,” Ruby told him. “Neither of us are her tulpa because I’m just a carbon copy of Crystal.”

“And they cannot take the form of past lovers,” Aricolumn added.

“Perhaps not,” Reala stated. “This doesn’t mean you are useless, however.” Ruby was slightly offended by his comment but quickly shrugged it off.

“In any case,” she spoke after a brief moment. “The most I can give you is that she’s a typical teenager with typical and atypical interests. Like, for example, fashion?” She shrugged upon saying that last part.

“Too easy,” Reala taunted her as he finished cleaning his mask and set the cloth alight, disposing of it.

“Wait,” Aricolumn spoke up. “She has connections to Egypt.” Reala put his mask back on and opened his eyes while he smiled.

“Ah,” he spoke. He looked back at the duo, and added, “How so when she was born elsewhere?” Ruby then remembered exactly what Aricolumn was talking about when he spoke again.

“Her siblings, Zephyr and Kayla, were taken from her parents after Crystal was born,” Aricolumn explained. “In fear for her safety, they sent her away to her guardian Atem, who resided in Egypt at that time. There she remained for four years until her unlawful banishment at the hands of their mutual enemy.” Ruby snickered slightly upon hearing this. Reala was impressed by this notion.

“A bounty against the heirs of a royal lineage,” he noted. “How intriguing. It’s a shame she was separated from her guardian far too soon. This would explain her apparent misfortune.” He chuckled at the notion.

“There’s more to it than that,” Ruby spoke while snickering. “Elemental Magicians of Light are a rarity even in this day and age. Their power levels are off the charts. It will cost you an arm and a leg to adopt one illegally. Crystal’s lucky not to be on one of those missing child posters.” As soon as she said this, a sudden shadowy vortex that was not his own appeared at least ten feet behind Aricolumn and Ruby. All three took notice as the duo looked in slight confusion while Reala smiled his malicious smile.

“Ah, right on time,” Reala stated with a grin. Ruby and Aricolumn took a closer at the vortex as someone came forward. Out stepped the same shadowy man that had stalked Crystal throughout her exploration of the Quartz Palace. Ruby and Aricolumn smiled mischievously.

“There’s informant number three,” Ruby told Aricolumn while smiling. “And if it’s who we think it is…”

“Then she had enemies in high places as well,” he responded. They looked as the man walked up to the trio with his eyes fixated on Reala in particular. Ruby curtsied as he approached them with his hands behind his back while Aricolumn saluted the mysterious man with respect. They then let the man pass as he approached Reala, who by this point was flying at least six feet above the ground. He stopped at least three feet away from him as he looked up at the malevolent jester.

“Reala of Nightmares,” he spoke his voice resounding proudly, “I have come to bargain. Wizeman has informed me of your struggle to learn of our mutual adversary. It will take more than the fear of losing her native land to crush her spirit.” He reached into his cloak pocket and produced a rather small Ideya from it. It was white, indicating Purity. He threw it to Reala who caught it in the air via a telekinetic power before placing it in his hand.

“Who’s the poor soul that lost that?” Ruby snorted slightly. Aricolumn smirked, knowing that Nightmarens are known to be drawn to any type of Ideya.

“Just like Ruby and Aricolumn before me,” he explained, “I, too, have been in many battles with her over the years that followed ever since our first encounter. If you allow me to give my knowledge of the girl, I will lead you to the location of the elusive Nightopian Resistance. Do we have a deal?” Aricolumn and Ruby looked at each in intrigue for a brief moment before turning back to the man and Reala. The latter smirked.

“I accept your bargain,” he told the stranger, a grin forming on his face. With the alliance now established, he knew that he was ready for his next move.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Aricolumn are both original characters of mine, and they do serve a purpose for this story. As for the mysterious figure in this chapter, we'll find out who he is in a later chapter. Let's just say he's a long time rival of Princess Crystal.


	18. In the Wrong Dream World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal comes across two visitors in her dream world. They seemed to have been placed there by accident. She volunteers to take them to the door to the dream, but even then, there is danger around every corner. What lies ahead for the young princess and her fellow visitors?

Crystal was exploring more of the Quartz Palace with Cumula and Pidge in tow. She was in the midst of exploring a hallway leading to several rooms when she and her companions were attacked by a Nightmaren hoard. With her elemental prowess and her companions, she prevailed. She went through a myriad of other hallways while battling a few more hoards along the way. As she went through one hallway, in particular, she heard some odd noises. It was people nearly the same age as her talking to one another.

“That’s weird,” she spoke aloud. “I already said that dreamers aren’t supposed to share the same dream. Did they dream hop?” Crystal and her allies listened for the conversation as they checked each door. She used her superior hearing to find where it was coming from. She took her left finger to her left ear and pointed her right finger upwards to pin-point the location. She then followed her right finger as she turned to face the direction of the sound. It was coming from the door to the far right of the hall. She called out to her companions, “Cumula, Pidge. Over here.” The duo heard her and went straight to her. The trio then went to the door as the noise increased in volume. It was a conversation between a boy and a girl, both around the same age or younger than Crystal. She listened in very carefully.

“So how exactly did we end up in someone else’s dream world?” the girl asked with a sassy tone.

“I think those vicious monsters may have something to do with that,” said the boy. “They looked human, but at the same time, they’re not human. It’s a little confusing, but it makes sense if you’re dreaming like I am.”

“Maybe,” she told him, “but what I don’t get is why they didn’t kill us in the first place.”

“Maybe they just need our color-coded orbs,” he told her. “That sounds far fetched, but I happened to have seen someone get their orbs snatched right when they were about to wake up. That was spooky.” Crystal knew exactly what the lad was talking about. Beyond the door was a dark-skinned boy with straight, long black hair and brown eyes, wearing what appeared to be a mostly yellow outfit; a yellow tee-shirt with the number two at the front, a white undershirt underneath the shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. He was wearing a pair of sneakers that had detachable wheels on the sides of each one. The girl was tan-skinned, and wearing a mostly teal tomboyish outfit; a teal raglan shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of teal slip-on shoes.

“That’s already scary on its’ own, TJ,” said the girl.

“True,” he told her, “but, that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything we want in the dream world. I mean really, they have no say in our actions unless our fears think otherwise. So don’t be a scaredy-cat, Vanessa.” She looked like she was about to smack the lad on the head for the comment. As she pondered some more, Crystal opened the door.

“Hey in there,” she greeted them. “Do you guys need an escort to the Dream Gate?” TJ and Vanessa were surprised at her sudden appearance, but this was quickly dismissed when they recognized who it was.

“Holy cow,” she spoke excitedly. “You’re Princess Crystal, aren’t you?”

“Thought I recognize that hair-color,” TJ said smiling. Vanessa was starting to get even more excited before TJ calmed her down. He then asked a reasonable question.

“Any idea how to get out of this weird, maze-like mansion?” he asked her a little confused about the layout of the place. Crystal chuckled slightly before giving her answer, “This is the Quartz Palace, young man. It’s a world entirely made of every gemstone possible. Rose quartz, amethysts, topaz, you name it, it’s all in here. I should know because I’m the owner of this dream world.”

“Whoa!” Vanessa responded amazed at her explanation. “All gemstones?! What?! You even dreamed up this world yourself? Whoa, you must have plenty of imagination if this world is still holding up strong!” Cumula and Pidge emerged from behind their hiding spot, curious about the commotion. TJ took notice of these two with a playful look.

“Grr, it’s the dream monsters!” he playfully gestured while wiggling his fingers in a spooky like manner. Pidge and Cumula gave a blank look at the lad as the latter bleated in sarcastic confusion.

“They’re called Nightmarens, you goofball,” Crystal explained a little annoyed at the boy’s remark. “Normally they’d ambush dreamers like us for our dream energy. But, not these two. They’re my companions, Cumula the Shleep and Pidge the Hollow.” The two greeted TJ and Vanessa with their respective sounds as they looked at the two with warmth and relief respectively. TJ was impressed by their devotion to Crystal while Vanessa was a little at ease by her explanation.

“In any case, I know exactly where the door is located,” Crystal told them, “so if you wish to go back to your respective dream worlds, I’d be more than happy to lead the way.”

“Yes please!” TJ responded enthusiastically.

“Pretty please!” Vanessa practically begged while pouting. Crystal couldn’t help but snicker slightly at the two for their different perks. She then turned to face the way she came in before looking back at the two.

“This way, you two,” she told them. She then began to walk away to the area she came in with TJ and Vanessa walking right behind her. She went back through the same hallway that she was traversing through and TJ and Vanessa were following her through it. She took them in every direction she knew putting their minds at ease.

Cumula and Pidge were alert during the escort as a Nightmaren hoard could jump out at any moment. As Crystal led the duo to their destination, she too felt that something was off. The group managed to get to the doorway to the mirror maze and after opening the door, Crystal beckoned them to go in before her. Cumula and Pidge followed suit after TJ and Vanessa before Crystal herself entered right behind them shutting the door as she did. Some ten feet behind them, Reala was watching close by, his arms crossed as he floated three feet above the area. He looked at her with malice in his eyes as a smile formed. With his eyes narrowed, he resumed his flight.

Meanwhile, Nights was on guard duty at the Dream Gate while performing some laps around the fountain. As he did some figure eights in the air, Hikaru exited headquarters to check on him. She had a hand-sized crystal ball in her hand as she approached the flying jester. Nights took notice and flew right to her.

“Hey Nights,” she greeted him. “I had a feeling you’d be standing guard this time.” Nights winked to her as he mimed that he was also practicing a few laps while he waited for Crystal’s return.

“I understand,” she replied. “Although, letting her walk around on her own is going to nip us in the bud later. Let’s check up on her just in case.” Hikaru used her fore-finger and middle finger to rub at the small crystal ball activating it. The image swirled for a bit before forming an image of Crystal leading TJ and Vanessa out of her dream world. Nights and Hikaru took notice of the two humans behind her.

“Oops!” Hikaru said giggling slightly. Nights laughed silently as she added, “Looks like a couple of visitors ended up in her dream world by mistake.” She looked to Nights as she asked, “Didn’t the same thing happen to two other visitors?” Nights nodded and used his power to mime the events that occurred with Will Taylor and another visitor. The image of a girl with a ponytail, and wearing what appeared to be formal wear, was shown alongside the image of Will.

“Will Taylor, and Helen Cartwright,” she noted. “That’s right. You told me that Reala paralooped them to separate them from you.” Nights looked at the ground with a sad look. As he did, a flashback appeared in his mind. It was of Helen falling into Reala’s dark vortex while screaming in fear. Nights tried to reach out to her while shouting, “Helen!” Sadly, he was too late, as Reala had pulled him away from the vortex rather forcefully. As Nights realized that she was gone, he drew his hand back slowly as he looked down at the ground with his eyes closed in sorrow while Reala lifted his fore-lorn sibling with a menacing grin, chuckling at his misery. The flashback ended with him sighing in sadness. Hikaru patted him in reassurance, causing him to look at her and smile. They then looked back at the crystal ball.

“Well, since Crystal knows her way through the Quartz Palace,” Hikaru explained, “I’m sure she’ll get these two out of there safely.” Nights nodded in agreement. She then added, “I’ll have to let Owl know about the situation. Maybe they got paralooped as well. Let’s just hope it wasn’t you-know-who this time.” The two nodded to each other in agreement as Hikaru flew back into the base. Nights beamed as he then continued his laps around the Dream Gate.

Crystal and her allies went through the mirror maze together with TJ and Vanessa in tow. Both were enamored by the sheer amount of mirrors lining the walls of the maze as they traversed it. Vanessa commented, “How can one castle have so many mirrors? Is your pride through the roof or something?”

“Not really,” Crystal replied modestly. “Mirrors often reflect who we are on the inside. So even if we use a disguise, the mirror will show the person’s true form otherwise. In my case, it’s reflecting my Shining Heart, and apparently, my current Ideya count.” She looked at one of the larger mirrors that they were about to pass as a demonstration. She can not only see herself in the mirror, but she can also see both her golden Shining Heart and her Ideya of Courage right beside her.

“Ideya, huh?” TJ asked as they resumed their trek. “Are you talking about our dream orbs?”

“In a way yes,” Crystal explained. “They’re the reason why Nightopia is still standing. The more Ideya you have, the more dream world options you have. And the layout is completely random depending on the dreamer.”

“Wow!” TJ said amazed. “That sounds like an awesome trick! I wander if we humans have that power too?”

“You do,” Crystal replied. “You just need to believe in it.” They continued to traverse the maze taking turn after turn. Crystal managed to find the exit and this lead to her training area for her Voyage. As they entered, Crystal noted, “We’re almost at the door, lady, and gentleman. Let’s hope you guys make it out together.” Her hope was cut short by a scream behind her. Crystal and her allies looked behind them to find out what’s making Vanessa scream. All three were now in shock. A hoard of Nightmarens have appeared before TJ and Vanessa, and they appeared to have surrounded the duo. Crystal, Cumula, and Pidge all sprung into action, the former brandishing her Millennium Rod as she ran straight to them. The trio went into a defensive stance in between TJ and Vanessa, and the Nightmaren hoard.

“Stay behind us, you two!” she ordered. “We’ll handle this!” Her Ideya of Courage began to glow brightly as she readied herself for battle. And thus, the battle between her and allies, and the Nightmaren hoard begins.

Crystal began with her traditional swordplay with her Halo Sabre and started to attack the hoard with the assistance of Cumula and Pidge. She struck as many of the Nightmarens as possible in a flurry of sword swings, ending in a resounding thrust. She then activated the spell Millennium Lens Flare in hopes of blinding her enemies. This worked in her and her allies’ favor as most if not all of the enemy Nightmarens were stunned from the bright light. For good measure, Crystal used the spell, Topaz Spears, to pin some of them in place.

After activating the spell, she used the water equivalent to her previous spell, the Tidal Sabre. She slashed them with a flurry of surging parries before finishing the first group with a powerful riposte. She then switched Sabre attacks from water to ice and continued to attack her hoard of foes. She then did a flurry of sword swings and parries. She then did the old riposte once more, finishing right then and there. After switching Sabre attacks one more time to light, she finished the third group with the same process. Her slashes were so bright this time that they blinded the Nightmaren group she was attacking. They disappeared into dust after a resoundingly bright thrust of the blade.

After a second hoard appeared before the trio, Crystal got creative and used Thor’s Hammer, the thunder and lightning equivalent to Frozen Road, to stun most of the Nightmarens in the area, except for Cumula and Pidge due to them being allies. She then activated Twister for good measure, intending to blow all of the Nightmaren hoards out of her beloved palace. This resulted in a large group of them being swept away by the swirling wind. Cumula used her spores to place some of the enemy Nightmarens to sleep, while Pidge used some fireballs to scorch some of the foes.

The next move Crystal performed was the Kaleidoscopic Paradigm, where she summoned a series of magical circles to distort the area temporarily before blasting the hoard with a kaleidoscopic crash. Cumula puffed up her body to roll around like a giant, fluffy, bowling ball, while Pidge used a large gust of wind to blow some of them away, similar akin to Crystal’s Twister. Her final move was Flash Flood, an aquatic spell that creates a large grounded wave of water, to push the stragglers out. With them out of the way, Crystal and her allies were victorious.

After the battle, some of the Nightmarens were pushed away by the trio. Some of them were too frightened to confront her, while the rest was growling at her. Either way, they all ran away back to where they came from. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief as she put her Millennium Rod back in the holster while Pidge and Cumula bounced up in down in celebration. She then turned to TJ and Vanessa, saying, “All clear. Sorry about that, folks.” TJ and Vanessa emerged from their hiding places and were relieved to see Crystal and her allies had survived the Nightmaren hoard.

“Whoa, that was a lot of dream mon-!” TJ quickly corrected himself before finishing his sentence, “Nightmarens. How did we not see them before?”

“That’s because Nightmarens are notorious for hiding in the shadows,” Crystal explained. “Plus, from some experiences of my own, they work best if they’re working together in groups, especially the Level Three Nightmarens. That Nightmaren hoard is just one example of a bunch of them working together.” TJ and Vanessa shuddered at the thought.

“I for one would not want a Nightmaren hoard like that in my dream world,” she told her rather worriedly. “Some of them were crabs, and can’t stand those things!” TJ snickered a bit at her comment.

“You do know that they’re seafood, right?” he asked her.

“Disgusting!” Vanessa muttered under her breath. Crystal chuckled at the duo slightly while Pidge and Cumula snickered.

“All righty,” she spoke up. “The door is just up ahead. Right, this way you two. And don’t let the Nightmarens spook you.” TJ and Vanessa both laughed at her statement, and they all walked toward the foyer door together. Crystal opened the door, and called out to the duo to go through first. TJ and Vanessa obeyed and went through. Crystal, Cumula, and Pidge all went into the door one by one, with the former closing the door on the way in.

After several minutes of the quintet wandering through the halls, Crystal and the others managed to make it to the entrance, and out they went. She led them out the gate and after twenty minutes of them walking, Crystal found the door at last. She was relieved as she thought the Nightmarens were surrounding it somehow. TJ and Vanessa were impressed with the design of the door itself, as they’ve never seen another one’s door design before.

“Here we are folks,” Crystal explained. “The door that leads back to the Dream Gate.” TJ and Vanessa ran right up to it starred in awe.

“Thank you so much, your highness!” spoke Vanessa as she turned to face her. “You are a lifesaver! I’m hoping for a swift recovery from those nasty tulpas! Good luck!” Crystal wasn’t at all surprised at her statement as she assumed her hospitalization was all over the news. Vanessa opened the door and leaped right through to get to her Dream Gate. TJ snickered at his partner’s enthusiasm.

“Sorry about that,” TJ explained. “She’s a massive fan-girl when it comes to Papillion Mystere.” He then bowed slightly to Crystal before saying, “Thanks for the escort, your highness. Hope you get well soon.”

“Trust me, honey,” Crystal responded, “I’m in this world for the long haul. Good luck getting back to your dream world.”

“Thanks, princess,” he told her. “I’ll be careful.” He then went through the door straight to his Dream Gate while Crystal waved to the young lad. As soon as the door closed on its own, she breathed a sigh of relief. Cumula nudged her a little to let her know that she did the right thing. Crystal turned to her allies.

“Now then, shall we go find that gem?” she asked them. Pidge and Cumula nodded in agreement. Crystal ran toward the grove to see about finding what she was looking for in that area. As she ran in said direction, Reala was seen sixty feet in the air staring down at her with malice in his eyes. He watched as she ran straight for the grove with Cumula and Pidge in tow. She managed to make her way there and disappeared into the trees surrounding it. He grinned knowing exactly where she had gone to. With a menacing leer, he flew toward the grove in pursuit of the girl.

Meanwhile, Seraphinite, Morganite, and Charlotte are all gathered around each other admiring the latter’s beautiful handiwork. It was a thick black choker with a charm below the middle portion. The charm was the crescent moon on its back with a red rhombus at the front middle portion. They admired it as Charlotte showed it to her friends.

“Do you think Crystal will like it?” she asked them.

“Oh, trust me, Charlotte,” Seraphinite told her, “girls her age will go nuts over the latest trends.” Hikaru flew into the room from above as soon as Seraphinite said this. She was holding her quill pen and parchment.

“What are you three up to?” she inquired putting her quill and parchment away. Charlotte showed her the choker and explained, “We made this for Princess Crystal. We think she needed a way to remain calm when faced with uncertainty.”

“So we found Prisma’s crest as a pendant,” Seraphinite added, “and with Charlotte’s sewing put into play…”

“The Hope Choker was born,” Morganite finished her sentence. Hikaru was impressed with the craftsmanship.

“I like it,” she told them. She looked at the trio and added, “Nights mentioned that Prisma gave her life to save Crystal, so having a portion of her at all times would definitely put her mind at ease. Let’s just hope that her captor doesn’t catch on to her Dark Ideya problem.” She then took the choker from Charlotte and summoned a speck of light at her fingers. After placing the speck into the pendant, it began to glow like the stars in the moonlit sky.

“What is that for?” Charlotte asked after Hikaru returned the choker to her.

“Just in case of an emergency,” Hikaru explained. “As soon as she falls into despair, the pendant will act as a beacon for every member of the resistance, including our commander. Just like the tales of yore, within the darkness, there’s always a glimmer of hope to light the way.” Morganite was elated and Seraphinite was relieved to hear this kind of news. Charlotte beamed at the choker knowing now that Crystal’s safety will be reinforced even further.

“Let’s hope she gets back soon,” Seraphinite spoke playfully. “She’ll be in for one beauty of a present.” Hikaru and Charlotte nodded in agreement while Morganite giggled at her sister’s sassy nature. The two flew off into another part of the resistance headquarters while Hikaru and Charlotte stayed behind, the latter being unable to fly due to being a spider-like Nightmaren. Hikaru looked at the crystal ball in the room as Charlotte began to climb her web ladder to the scaffold.

“Speaking of Crystal,” Hikaru told herself, “I wonder how she’s doing in the Quartz Palace? Hopefully, she’ll make it back before the next trial.” The image in the crystal ball showed Crystal going into the grove along with Cumula and Pidge. She and her companions have just made it in and have just begun exploring it. Hikaru sighed a little in relief and said, “Be careful out there, your highness.” She then flew up to her station to continue her work.

Crystal, Cumula, and Pidge were all in one group exploring the Crystal Grove. The jungle of jasper trees covered with peridot foliage, and emerald grass, stretched as far as the eye can see. It was also decorated heavily with aura quartz thorns, lavender quartz clusters, amethyst lilies, topaz lanterns, garnet roses, and even had boulders made of obsidian. Crystal knew this place like the back of her hand. She was looking for a specific gem, and she knew exactly where to look.

“If I recall correctly,” she told her allies, “the gem I’m looking for, while quite common, is sometimes hidden in the shadows. It should be in the very back of the Crystal Grove.” She and her companions began to move in the direction of the gem that she was seeking out. As she made her way through the forest of jasper trees, she stumbled upon a clearing not too far away. She then sensed a Nightmaren hoard. As soon as it appeared, she and her allies took at least twenty seconds to defeat the hoard together.

After the battle, Crystal healed everyone, including herself before putting her Millennium Rod back into the holster and proceeded further into the grove with Cumula and Pidge in tow. They took at least ten minutes to make it through the grove without running into any Nightmarens, even coming across a group of Nightopians along the way. Crystal noticed a clearing in the distance and took the chance to take a look. In said clearing was large red crystal quartz in the middle. It was nearly human-sized and looked as if someone had taken shards of the cluster at the base. Crystal examined it further.

“Looks like Freddy Kruger was making the rounds,” she told Pidge and Cumula. They were a little confused about who it was, until she said, “You don’t want to know. Trust me.” She then approached the large crystal and snapped her fingers setting the tips of her first two fingers alight like a candle. She then proceeded to cut a chunk of the red crystal from it, creating a sphere from it. The sphere was the size of large baseball. Regardless, it fits in the palm of her hand. Cumula and Pidge were a bit confused as to why she took a piece of the crystal, and she explained, “Just in case.” They realized at once what she was planning to do if she got caught in the process of their search. They then went to the path on the right to continue their search for the gem they’ve been looking for.

Pidge was going on ahead of the pack as Crystal looked around at the grove. She appeared to be thinking fondly of the area. She placed her hand on the trunk of the jasper tree next to her and smiled. She then said, “Nights and I used to play in this area a lot when I was five. To think it would still be here after twelve years. Most dreams disappear when you wake up, but not this time.” She looked over at the Nightopians playing with some of the more pleasant Nightmarens. One of them flew over to Crystal and greeted her. She recognized the little one right away.

“Hey, you’re the Nightopian that helped us out with the last trial,” she said. The Nightopian babbled a bit, confirming her assumption.

“Thanks for your help, little guy,” she told him. “I appreciated it.” The Nightopian blushed upon hearing her say those words. She patted it on the head while beaming. They heard a caw coming from out the front. Cumula, recognizing the sound, flew right off into that direction. Crystal and the Nightopian were curious as to why she acted like that, so they proceeded forward. Heading back towards them were Cumula and Pidge. The former was bouncing around joyfully while carrying a small, hand-sized black crystal quartz, and Pidge flew right up to her master flapping her wings while smiling. She had something in her mouth as well, the same type of gem that Cumula had on her head.

“Great job you two!” Crystal spoke up, proud of their efforts. Cumula bounced her share into Crystal’s hand while Pidge placed her beak over her hand before dropping her catch. She examined it and beamed. She then added, “Smokey Quartz. Just the gem I was looking for.” She took the pieces in her hand placed them in her satchel.

Just when Crystal and her friends were about to leave the grove in the opposite direction, she felt a jolt of terror as the air around her began to increase in pressure. She used her foresight to check the cause of her unease. Her vision showed her adversary, Reala, flying through the grove, weaving through tree after tree to find his prey. He was in shadow as he does so. Her vision ends with her fetching her mirror, and checking the image. She noticed Reala’s image on the glass and her eyes widened in slight terror in conjunction with stern realization. She turned to her allies and the group of dream creatures as they too were in terror.

“It’s Reala,” she told them with a tone of slight terror. “Duck!” The Nightopians and 3rd Level Nightmarens scattered and hid among the trees and the bushes. They knew how dangerous Reala is in the air and the presence of humans, Nightopians, and rogue Nightmarens. Crystal found a group of bushes in a circle and she, along with the Nightopian, and her Nightmaren allies, Pidge and Cumula, huddled in and activated her invisibility, as well as her sound-proof force field. Her allies huddled with her causing them to be invisible as well. Cumula bleated a little in concern to which Crystal told her to be quiet. As Pidge poked her to get her attention, Crystal looked over to see Reala flying in their direction. He flew past them as the peeking Nightopians quickly hid away.

“She thinks she can hide in darkness,” he told himself menacingly. He quickly added in a sing-song tone, “Where are you, my dear?” He flew a few feet away from their hiding spot as he said this. Crystal was slightly confused. _What is he after me for?_ She quickly chastised herself before thinking. _Dumb question, Crystal._ Reala stopped in the exact spot she was thinking he’d stop at before looking around for her. She listened in on his monologue.

“You can hide all you want, my dear,” he called to her maliciously. “But you can’t hide your Ideya from me.” Crystal smirked a little upon hearing this and said, “I don’t think so, Reala.” As she said this, she remembered the red, spherical chunk of red crystal she obtained earlier and pulled it out of her satchel. She then aimed to the left of Reala’s position and threw it so hard, that he took notice of her object right away. Grinning maliciously, he followed the orb to where it landed. Crystal smirked a little as she said, “Sucker.” She then made a halo motion with her hands, creating a hoop in the process. She then tossed it into the air as it enlarged itself and encompassed both her, and her dream-being trio. The quartet vanished as soon as the hoop enveloped them. The only thing left was some residue of the hoop in question.

Reala looked over to where Crystal had thrown the red crystal orb and found the answer. He noticed it on the ground right away as some Nightmarens cowered away from him in fear. He let out an, “Ah,” before approaching the sphere and picking it up. He chuckled slightly as he did this.

“Nice try, Princess,” he gloated. “You can’t fool a Nightmaren that easily.” He chuckled as he looked in the direction of where she was hiding while he summoned some dark energy in the hand holding the object. It was soon turned to dust the moment he crushed it. He then took off toward her hiding spot and saw the residue that she had left behind.

“Ah,” he spoke intrigued by his discovery. He stroke his non-existent chin as the residue began to fade away into dust, while adding, “Interesting.” Crystal had yet to realize that he is now aware of her new-found power. Her misfortune had only just begun.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reala wasn't fooled by Crystal's red crystal orb because someone else had tricked him before. There was a comic version of Nights into Dreams which was done by Archie Comics. In this one, he was tricked into thinking the basketball that Elliot Edwards was carrying was his Ideya of Courage. So Reala destroying the gem was in reference him popping the basketball like a balloon. As for TJ and Vanessa, they may be possible protagonists in the future. We'll see.


	19. One Step at a Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal returns to the Resistance Headquarters to bring the smokey quartz to Hikaru and takes the time to allow Dr. Fergali to correct her defective telekinesis. Meanwhile, Nights scouts out the potential crystals needed for a certain 2nd Level Nightmaren. What plans does Reala have for that Nightmaren in question?

Crystal, Cumula, Pidge, and the Nightopian can be seen falling through her paraloop portal, which consisted of the Eyes of Anubis as well as her phoenix insignia and a trail of stars. They seemed to fall for quite a while, possibly for ten seconds. As the descent continued, Crystal took the Nightopian and placed it on her head for support. After about twenty seconds of falling, a light appeared in the vertical tunnel below them.

At the Dream Gate, a golden yellow and orange vortex appeared in the plaza just in front of the fountain, and Crystal and the company jumped out immediately after. She landed squarely on the stone path and straightened herself out as the vortex closed behind them. The Nightopian jumped off her head and babbled a thank you to the girl before entering the resistance headquarters. Crystal brushed off some of the dust from her skirt while Cumula and Pidge looked at her fondly.

“I’m getting good at this,” she complimented herself and she dusted herself off. They were about to enter the base themselves before the sound of a flute caught Crystal’s ear once more. She pointed to her left ear with her left index finger and held her right finger in front of herself. She then followed her finger toward the sound, even turning around to see Nights in the distance about ten feet in the air playing his invisible flute while in a sitting position. Her face lit up and ran towards him with Cumula and Pidge in tow. As Nights continued, she ran up to him and stopped six feet in front of him.

“I thought it had to be you!” she spoke up as she pointed at him playfully. She put her finger down as Nights stopped playing and looked in her direction with a wink. He then flew toward her in a spiral before landing in front of her with a smile.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” he asked telepathically. Crystal, knowing what he was talking about and frisked her satchel to find her stash. It only took a few seconds before she found the smokey quartz crystals that Cumula and Pidge found.

“Here it is,” she told him. “Smokey quartz. It’s a conduit for dark magic, but it’s just what I need for my mask. I had to dodge your brother to get back to the Dream Gate though.” Nights grew slightly concerned when she mentioned Reala. She then explained, “Since he’s at the correct rank to snatch my Courage Ideya, had to use a decoy to distract him with before using my Voyage. He didn’t even see me use it.” Nights snickered a little when he heard this before speaking telepathically, “That’s one way to get Reala off your back.” The two then enter the resistance headquarters together with Cumula and Pidge following close by. Nights looked at the crystal ball and was slightly surprised at the past image shown. He looked at Crystal with a concerned smile.

“You may want to look at the result of your decoy,” he told her through telepathy. Crystal looked at the crystal ball as well and saw herself using her Voyage. The image then changed to Reala looking over to where Crystal had thrown the red crystal orb. He noticed it on the ground right away as some Nightmarens cowered away from him in fear. He let out an, “Ah,” before approaching the sphere and picking it up. He chuckled slightly as he did this.

“Nice try, Princess,” he gloated. “You can’t fool a Nightmaren that easily.” He chuckled as he looked in the direction of where she was hiding while he summoned some dark energy in the hand holding the object. It was soon turned to dust the moment he crushed it. The image ends soon after. Crystal was in a state of shock upon seeing this unfold.

“Okay!” she exclaimed. “The decoy was a failure!” Cumula and Pidge both cowered in fear upon hearing their master speak up in terror.

“He’s already been tricked by that same prank you pulled,” Nights explained telepathically. “He once popped a basketball impersonating a red Ideya.” Crystal was amazed as she knew that popping it with one hand is nearly impossible without a sharp object.

“That strength is equal to King Rhett!” she told him with a concerned tone. Seraphinite came into the room as she said this. She noticed Nights and Crystal together with Cumula and Pidge in the same room.

“Hey, there you are,” she said perking up. She approached Crystal and added, “Sorry to break up your mind talk, but Morganite and I have something to show you.” She flew to where Crystal needed to go with her, her Nightmaren pets, and Nights right behind her. After traversing a few hallways that Lumière had left out, they made it to Charlotte’s quarters with Charlotte, and Morganite waiting for them. Crystal wasn’t surprised to see a spider-like Nightmaren with them, as she assumed that most people are fearful of spiders, especially her younger sister, Jessica.

“Say hello to Charlotte Anansi,” said Seraphinite. Charlotte approached the young princess warmly and greeted her with a “Bonjour, mon ami.” Crystal curtsied in respect and replied with, “Bonjour.” Nights waved to Charlotte while beaming at her. Cumula and Pidge were bouncing in joy.

“Morganite and Seraphinite informed me of your Dark Ideya situation,” she explained, “so we made something to help calm you down.” She then produced a rectangular box and opened it to reveal the choker while beaming. Morganite then said, “Ta-da!” Crystal was enamored by the choker that they made.

“Whoa!” she exclaimed. “Is that a choker? How’d you know about our latest fashion trend?”

“This is no ordinary choker, mon cheri,” Charlotte explained. “Take a look at the pendant.” Crystal did just that and gasped a little. She recognized it right away as she had seen it worn on a certain Nightmaren. Nights also took notice and smiled as Crystal took the choker with a smile and a gentle hand.

“Prisma,” she said with a somber smile. She had a flashback to Prisma before taking the choker to her heart as if in prayer. Nights placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her as she tried to put the choker on herself. He telepathically told her, “I’ll take care of that.” He took the choker and clasped the back end of it after putting it around her neck. Crystal put her hand over the pendant as she looked at him.

“Thank you,” she replied.

“We figured that you needed a boost of hope after that meltdown you had earlier,” said Seraphinite. “So we had Charlotte make that for you.”

“It has Prisma’s crest as the pendant,” Morganite explained further, “so if you have another meltdown, a portion of Prisma will be with you at all times.” Crystal’s smile did not falter one bit upon hearing their explanation. She looked up at them

“Thank you so much, guys,” she said politely. “Prisma may be a wandering ghost now, but she’s alive in my heart. I’ll wear it at all times in her name.” As she stroked it with her finger, a light that is unknown to her begins to shine like a twinkling star.

Meanwhile, in the realm of Nightmares, Reala had just returned to Wizeman’s chamber to deliver some important information. He entered through his paraloop vortex and looked up just in time to see one of his master’s hands approaching him. He smiled despite this as he knelt in respect for his master. He knew what he had to say was more important than a lecture, or an example of his power.

“Pardon the intrusion, Master,” he spoke as he looked up at Wizeman’s hand with a smile. “An interesting development has emerged. Princess Crystal has tapped into the powers of a 1st Level Nightmaren. It seems she has the potential to become one after all.” Wizeman was skeptical at first as he drew his hand back.

“I see,” he responded. “I suspected that her power has strengthened since her first encounter with Nightopia. Prisma must be responsible for this new power of hers.” Reala nodded in agreement, knowing precisely what he meant.

“A transference perhaps?” he inquired. “Even Nightmarens who passed on can perform such a feat.” He smirked slightly during this remark.

“Your words reign true, Reala,” Wizeman replied. “However, she has yet to know the full extent of this power. If you are willing to pursue the girl despite her current status, then so be it. As for that treacherous Nights, his interference will become a nuisance as he has vowed to protect her at the cost of his existence. See to it that they are pulled away from one another when the time comes.”

Reala grinned wickedly as he replied, “Gladly, Master Wizeman. And I know just the Nightmaren to use against them.” He rose from his position as he turned his head to what appeared to be a giant mechanical scorpion. It began to light up in the darkness as it rose to his level. A chamber that appeared to house a mechanical baby doll lit up as the doll within opened its eyes looking at Reala. He chuckled as the doll nodded, knowing exactly what needed to be done.

Meanwhile, Crystal and Nights, with Cumula and Pidge in tow, are heading up to the research facility as they passed through the hallway leading up to it. After making their way over to it, they find Hikaru taking some notes of some discoveries she had found. Crystal tapped her on the shoulder causing her to look in her direction. Hikaru was wearing her mask again causing Crystal and Nights to snicker. She felt her mask in response before realizing the truth.

“Oops! I did it again, didn’t I?” Hikaru asked them a little embarrassed at her discovery. Crystal nodded while Nights laughed slightly at her mishap. Hikaru took the mask off and used her telekinetic power to send it back to her tent

“I need to break that stupid habit,” she told them while beaming with embarrassment. She then noticed the choker around Crystal and breathed a sigh of relief before composing herself.

“What can I help you guys with?” she asked. Crystal searched through her bag for a few seconds and produced both her mask and the smokey quartz she obtained earlier. She then said, “I only need one task taken care of. Can you turn this smokey quartz into a pair of lenses for my mask? I’m worried about the blinding light hitting my eyes, especially since my dream world is entirely made of gemstones.” Nights thought it over before nodding to Crystal’s explanation.

“That’s completely understandable,” Hikaru replied giggling slightly. “Sunlight bouncing off a crystal is like a candle in a mirror, or the moon reflecting the light of the sun.” Crystal gives the smokey quartz and mask to Hikaru, and she set to work. After snapping her fingers, she produced a flame at the tip of her pointer finger. She then used it to cut a few small chunks of the black gem from it before proceeding to shape it. Owl came into the research facility as Hikaru measured Crystal’s eyes before returning to her work.

“Ooh hoo!” he exclaimed. “There you are, you two.” He looked over a Crystal who was looking over at Owl with a smile.

“I apologize for not coming to you sooner,” Owl told her. “I ruffled my feathers in fright when I saw Reala enter the grove. Although the distraction was effective in your escape.”

“Yeah, but my decoy got destroyed after I left,” she replied with a slight twinge of fear. “Turns out someone else came up with that same prank. That’s why he didn’t fall for it.” Nights mimed a little sign language to confirm Crystal’s story.

“Oh dear,” he replied. “I’m afraid this may spell misfortune soon. I only hope that he doesn’t follow you straight to our resistance.”

“That’s even worse considering I have a Nightmaren for a stalker,” Crystal stated in agreement. “Although it’s not my first rodeo with one, my ex-boyfriend coming to mind, it’s still a really scary thought. In you-know-who’s case, I just have to remain calm and give him the slip if possible.” Owl nodded in agreement with her statement. Hikaru had just finished her project and turned around to produce the mask belonging to Crystal.

“And it’s done,” she told them. “Care to give it shot, Princess?”

“Thank you so much, Hikaru,” Crystal replied while producing blue chips. Hikaru pushed her hand back while saying, “No payment is required. This one is on the house.” Crystal then nodded and placed the blue chips back in her bag.

“Fair enough,” she told her with a smile. Hikaru then gave the mask to Crystal, who then proceeded to put it on and click the button in the middle to activate her smokey quartz lenses. Cumula and Pidge were amazed at the sight.

“Ta-da!” she announced. “No more sun in my eyes! Sun’s out!” She pressed the button again and the black lenses were gone. She then said, “Sun’s gone.”

Click!

“Sun’s out.”

Click!

“Sun’s gone.” Nights and Owl chuckled slightly at Crystal’s demonstration. Pidge and Cumula both snickered at their master for her goofy nature. Hikaru beamed knowing that she did very well with her work. As the group was in merriment, she looked over at the crystal balls for a moment and noticed something strange. Nights took notice as well and looked over Hikaru’s shoulder. Crystal, who by that point had removed her mask and placed it back in her bag, walked right over to them with Owl right behind them. Cumula and Pidge followed suit.

“What’s going on?” she asked her. Hikaru scanned her crystal balls one more time to be sure.

“They’re saying that a 2nd Level Nightmaren has been detected,” she explained. She looked at the image closely and noticed a large scorpion-shaped robot in the image. Hikaru was sure of who it was.

“Nights,” she replied with slight fear after a few seconds, “I think this is the Nightmaren that stole your voice.” Nights perked up upon hearing this information. Crystal was surprised to hear it as well, her eyes widening with that exact emotion.

“Wait,” she replied, “the vocal thief has been spotted?” She smiled excitedly before adding, “No way! That means the second trial is underway!” Nights was elated and Owl smiled at the news.

“Quite fortuitous timing,” Owl responded. He then frowned a little. “But this is no time to celebrate. We will need our trial captain to scout ahead, and see what the Nightmaren Army is planning with this 2nd Level Nightmaren. Especially since Reala may be behind this sudden appearance.”

“Then we’ll just need to go find them,” Crystal said excitedly. She turned to run to the lobby and sprinted toward the stairs. Cumula and Pidge were aghast at her for leaving her friends behind. As she ran up to the stairs, she added, “Wait here while I-!” She was interrupted when she was pulled back by the shirt by Nights, who caught up with her before she made it another foot to the stairs. Hikaru and Owl both laughed at Crystal’s antics while the young princess looked at the duo with a blank stare as he carried her back to the area by the back of her purple crop-top. Cumula and Pidge both bleated and cawed in amusement.

“Hey, what’s so funny over there?” she inquired a little annoyed that her search was interrupted. Hikaru and Owl stopped laughing when Nights put her down and looked at her with a playful smirk.

“You’ve already met the trial captain, Crystal,” Hikaru explained pointing at Nights. Crystal looked at him as he winked at her with a smirk.

“Shoot, I forgot you’re a trial captain,” she said while smiling and giggling slightly, a little embarrassed about her mistake. Nights laughed a silent laugh as well as if forgiving her. Cumula and Pidge both nudged her as well to let her know that she wasn’t in trouble.

“That’s right,” Hikaru chimed in, “Nights will be the trial captain for this one since this is the one that rendered him mute. So we’ll have to wait for a few minutes while he scouts ahead to see what Reala’s up to.” Crystal shuddered a little upon hearing her adversary’s name as both Cumula and Pidge hid away in terror. Nights patted her on the back as reassurance. Owl straightened his feathers before speaking up.

“Nights once dueled this Nightmaren three days ago while traversing the Quartz Palace out on patrol,” Owl explained. “Unfortunately, despite it being a 2nd Level Nightmaren, he was defeated and his voice was stolen soon after as a way of silencing him. Fortunately, Nights can mime as well as speak in sign language even with his voice intact long before the duel between these two, and this was integral to his communication. If you manage to defeat this Nightmaren, thus bringing peace to the Quartz Palace once more, his voice will return, and you may conduct a thorough search for the Ideya of Purity missing from your heart.” Crystal looked over at Nights just in time to see him giving a blank stare indicating that he was getting a bit bored with Owl’s speech. She giggled upon seeing this.

“Hoo,” Owl said realizing his mistake. “Pardon me. I do tend to rattle on. Go see what your brother is scheming, Nights.” Nights perked up and nodded in response. He drew a circle in the air causing a vortex to appear in the sky. He flew up into it causing to disappear. Crystal looked at Hikaru and Owl with a smile.

“I guess I’ll stick around until Nights gets back,” she told them. “Meanwhile, I have a certain doctor to talk to about my defective telekinesis. Care to join me, Owl?”

“Certainly,” he replied right away. “I’ll need to ensure that the good doctor knows what he’s doing.” Crystal nodded while Cumula and Pidge came out from their hiding spots. She, the two Nightmarens, Hikaru, and Owl all left the research facility and headed straight for Dr. Fergali’s medical office.

Meanwhile, Nights had just entered the Quartz Palace via a paraloop vortex. He began to look around the area he had just come to and took notice of a certain large gem in the distance. Curious, he decided to take a look by flying over to it. Before he could get closer, however, he heard some flapping in the distance. He looked over to see Reala’s three vulture guards approaching. He quickly retreated and hid away in a nearby cave. The three vultures and their riders made their way to the large quartz gem and inspected it.

The quartz gem itself was a rainbow blue color and looked as though it could be no bigger than an average human. Nights was impressed by the coloration. The vultures’ riders, satisfied with their discovery, marked the gems on the map that one of them carried. The three vultures took off, their owners laughing maniacally. Nights was confused at first. _Why are they after this gorgeous gem?_ Not wanting to fail in his mission, he used his paraloop again to go to a different section of the Quartz Palace canyon.

As soon as he made it to the location, he noticed that a group of 3rd Level Nightmarens, some pumpkin spirits, others Lumiralans, were inspecting one that looks as though it were glowing like a rainbow. They made a note of its location before dispersing. Nights got suspicious for a bit until he realized something. _I get it! Reala’s planning something for the Nightmaren he just brought out! Crystal’s going to love this trial!_ He then summoned a parchment paper and poked it a few times before putting the paper in his vest. He then made another vortex and went to a different section of the canyon to inspect the next gem.

Back at the resistance headquarters, Crystal, Owl, Hikaru, and the two 3rd Level Nightmarens all entered Dr. Fergali’s hospital room one by one. Crystal, who was the first to enter was amazed at the cleanliness of the room. It was identical to the medical wards in the real world, with some slight changes. The needles looked to be old-fashioned, and there seemed to be a plague mask above his desk. Dr. Fergali turned to see Crystal and company, greeting them with a smile.

“Welcome, your highness,” he spoke warmly. “I’ve been wondering when you would arrive for your check-up.” Crystal gave a nod in understanding.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Doctor,” she said respectfully. “I was busy getting a certain gem for my mask. Now that the task is out of the way, I felt that now’s the right time for an appointment.” Dr. Fergali nodded knowing his profession all too well. He began to fiddle with a scanning device in the room before responding with, “Since you are a Magician of Light visitor, your biology is very much different from that of mortal visitors and of course Nightmarens like me. If you permit me, I wish to conduct a thorough scan of your body to see if there are any abnormalities in your biological system.”

“Scan my DNA for defects,” Crystal translated with a smile. “I understand. Be my guest.” Dr. Fergali, having heard her response, activated the device and it scanned her body while slowly moving up and down.

“Have you any history of your power becoming unstable at certain points?” asked Dr. Fergali as the device continued.

“Well, this is a bit embarrassing,” Crystal replied sheepishly. “But whenever I sneeze, my powers will go rogue for a brief moment before returning to normal. I’ve had that since I was born. Sadly, as much as I wish for that to happen, there’s no cure for it.” The device continued its’ slow descent and ascent.

“That’s pretty common for Elementals,” Hikaru responded giggling sightly. Cumula and Pidge both snickered, knowing that this once happened during her battle with Cerberus. Owl smiled sympathetically to the young princess who looked at her pets with a blank stare, causing them to stop their laughter. She turned back to the good doctor, whose machine had just completed the scan. He made note of something in her magical core that intrigued him.

“I can see some abnormalities with your telekinetic power, and that of your dark magic core,” he told her. “Would you care to explain them to me?”

“Gladly doctor,” she responded. “Hikaru, Pidge, Cumula, and Owl already know this, but it doesn’t hurt for a reminder. The truth is, my telekinesis will only last for ten seconds. After that, it disables itself, thus allowing gravity to take me back to the ground. As for my Dark Magic, since I’m pure Light Attribute, my health will plummet every time I use a Dark Magic Spell such as Nosferatu, or Walpurgisnacht. As such, I only use my Dark Magic in emergencies.” 

“I’m afraid she’s telling the truth, doctor,” Owl told him wearily. “Crystal may not have remembered this one due to Prisma’s protection, but its’ been ingrained within my memory. As a child, she once tried a Dark Magic Spell to help relieve Cumula of a parasitic Nightmaren. But the adverse effects of the spell nearly cost the poor girl her life.” This information caused Crystal to clutch her head in slight pain as she heard a crack in her mind. She had a brief flashback to her casting Nosferatu to save Cumula before it switched to her feeling dizzy and sick. The flashback ended with her shaking her head. _I can’t believe I forgot about that,_ she thought.

“I see,” Dr. Fergali responded. He looked to the device, and then back to Crystal before asking, “Which do you want me to stabilize first, Princess? Any abnormality you wish for me to correct will be carried over into the Waking World once you’ve awakened from your medical coma.” Crystal smiled, knowing that she would be cured either way.

“The only thing I need right now is a quick re-work of my telekinesis,” Crystal stated. “So let’s start with that one. The Dark Magic core will have to wait, as stabilizing it will cost a lot of time. Especially for pure Light Attributes like myself.”

“Very much agreed,” Owl responded while smiling. Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief while Pidge and Cumula bounced up and down excitedly. Dr. Fergali nodded as well, knowing what Crystal had said to be true with every word.

“I have just the procedure for your telekinetic power,” he spoke to her. “It won’t be but a moment.” He then put his four rubber-gloved hands to work on some potions. He grabbed a green one, a purple one, and a blue one. The final hand grabbed an empty flask that was shaped into a sphere. Crystal watched as he carefully poured a certain amount of each liquid into the flask. After putting the liquids back, he put the flask over a Bunsen burner. After Dr. Fergali turned it on, the burner boiled the liquid for about one minute before it changed to yellow.

“Good thing he has gloves on,” Crystal told Owl complimenting his work. “He’s a professional in my book.”

“Wizeman the Wicked may have created him to frighten visitors,” Owl explained, “but he has forgotten that doctors, whether they are to heal or to bring truth to our world, are meant to help those in need.” After a dash of what appeared to be mint, it changed to pink and it was done. Dr. Fergali turned around with the flask in hand, careful not to spill its contents.

“Well, here it is,” he told Crystal. “This potion, as I’ve tried many times on myself, will help correct the problem with your telekinesis. You need only a small quantity for the effects to take place, and as I said before, the effects are permanent even while you are awake in the Waking World.” Crystal examined it a bit before graciously taking it from him.

“All right, bottoms up,” she said with a smile. After blowing on the potion a few times to cool it down, she drank the liquid, trusting the contents to work in everyone’s favor. Once that was done she exhaled slightly to release a small amount of smoke just in case of an adverse effect.

“Feel any changes, princess?” Hikaru asked a bit worried about her health. Crystal activated her aura sensory to check on her heart and spirit. It didn’t take long for her to notice before returned the still full flask to Dr. Fergali.

“Just one,” she replied to Hikaru. She then turned to Dr. Fergali while adding, “I think your potion worked, Dr. Fergali. And hey, it tasted like bubblegum.” Dr. Fergali, although it was unseen because of his mask, smiled at her compliment. “I’ll test out my telekinesis when Nights and I get to the trial site.” Cumula and Pidge both nudge her in agreement. As the others nodded in agreement, a purple vortex appeared above the office. Crystal looked up to see Nights flying down to the ground and greet everyone with a bow.

“Ah, right on time,” Dr. Fergali stated. “Any news that you wish to share, Nights?” Nights then mimed an image for everyone to see. The image was of Reala interacting with the mystery Nightmaren beside him. The images have the two laughing with each other maniacally.

“He said that he found the culprit that had stolen his voice,” Owl translated, “and has recently learned about Reala’s next plan of action against the resistance. Nights, can you tell us more than that?” Nights shook his head no and mimed another image, showing Crystal. Owl turned to her and spoke, “Hmm, I’m afraid he’s saying that it would be best for Crystal to see for herself.”

“I’m okay with that,” she told him. “I learned better through visual anyhow. So whatever Reala’s planning, I’m sure we’ll piece it together as we complete the trial bit by bit.”

“As you wish,” Owl replied with a smile. Hikaru flew to Nights and hugged him affectionately with him reciprocating in return. After letting go, she told him, “Good luck.” She kissed him on the cheek for good measure causing him to nuzzle her in return. Crystal, having witnessed the event then said, “Oooo…” in a rather playful tone. She began to walk away with Cumula and Pidge right beside her. She began to chant to them playfully while Nights looked her for a brief moment before turning back to Hikaru in a confused manner.

“Nights and Hikaru sitting in a tree,” Crystal jeered playfully while Pidge and Cumula snickered. Nights realized what was happening as he turned back to her, and back to Hikaru with a blank stare while pointing at Crystal. While this happened, the young princess continued, “K-I-Whoa!” She was interrupted when Nights, in a quick circle, activated a portal beneath her causing her to fall into the vortex, surprising both Cumula and Pidge. Owl and Hikaru snickered slightly at the scene. A second vortex appeared right above a large spider web, and Crystal plummeted right into it, causing it to bounce before she herself was stuck in the tangled mess. Charlotte, who witnessed the whole thing, laughed playfully at the event as Nights flew up to her with a smirk, his eyes half-way shut as if mocking her back for her gesture. She looked up at him with an embarrassed smile.

“I deserved that,” she said while laughing. Nights stuck his tongue out playfully in response before changing into a pair of scissors to cut her loose with Charlotte's assistance. Crystal was thankfully over the scaffolding when she fell on the web, so she was able to jump down once Nights cut the strings binding her like a puppet.

Cutting to Nightmare, Reala and Pandora had just witnessed Nights’ slight revenge on Crystal’s torment. Reala chuckled while Pandora laughed at the duo’s antics. After a breather, the latter then stated, “Ah, I can watch them do this all day.” She laughed some more as Void approached her older brother.

“A word of advice, Princess,” Reala spoke to the crystal quartz, “don’t toy with a Nightmaren.” Void tapped him on the shoulder causing him to turn his head to her. She held out some parchment.

“Here’s the candidate you asked for,” she told him smiling. After taking it off her hands, he took a look at the contents.

“Thank you, Void,” he replied.

“You’re welcome,” she said beaming. She retreated back to her hiding spot, waiting for her next order. Satisfied with his sister’s find, he tucked the parchment away for safekeeping. Pandora looked over at her fiance asking with a smile and a wink, “Any plans for when the girl and Nights get in the way?”

“You know me all too well, Pandora,” he told her. He approached her and placed both of his hands on her shoulders while she in turn nestled up to him.

“Once they’re caught in the act,” he told her. “That will be my moment to strike.” Pandora turned herself to face him as she embraced him.

“I’ll be cheering you on, honey,” she replied. As she embraced him, Reala stroked her head as a way of showing affection to her. After a few more seconds, though it felt like minutes to them, they let go allowing Reala to give a bow to his lover before using his paraloop to return to the Quartz Palace. Pandora beamed as he sank into the vortex with his grin shining in the darkness.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our first appearance of Scorpinoir. This one is my creation, and sadly, he is in shadow so I can't tell you what he can do at this time. All I can say is stand by for a long chapter ahead. You'll be getting a boss chapter in a few chapters.


	20. Trial #2: Quartz Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal begins her second trial in hopes of defeating Reala's minions and stopping whatever plan he has in store for her and Nights. Will she manage to make it through, or will she be lost like a rare gem?

Nights and Crystal, along with Cumula and Pidge, have just arrived back in the Quartz Palace in hopes of beginning the next trial. After exiting the door to the Dream Gate, they made their way through the dream world to another area that had yet to be explored. Crystal made note of the canyon she encountered when she first came here and decided to check there, with Nights and the others in tow. They’ve been making their way to the canyon for about ten minutes, battling a few hoards of Nightmarens along the way. Crystal’s elemental prowess along with Nights’ cosmic magic, Cumula’s sleeping smoke, and Pidge’s fireballs were integral to defeating the hoards along the way.

While on the way, they managed to come across a large canyon with platforms for Crystal to cross. After some careful timing on her part, she managed to cross the canyon with Nights as her guide. After five minutes, the quartet is seen walking toward their destination. Crystal felt a sneeze coming on but quickly stifled it by covering her mouth before it could be released out in the open.

“Don’t you dare!” she shouted at herself angrily her voice muffled by her hands. Nights gave out a silent laugh when he saw what she was doing.

“You still have that silly sneeze of yours, don’t you?” he spoke through telepathy while beaming.

“Yes,” she told him releasing her grip on her nose. “I hate it when I sneeze like that.” Nights patted her on the back in reassurance. He then added, through telepathy, “Don’t worry. At least it only lasts for a few seconds.”

“Three annoying seconds to be exact,” she noted. She felt a sneeze coming on again. This time, however, she couldn’t stop it in time, and she sneezed, causing giant crystal quartz to form around her, trapping an annoyed and angry Crystal inside. Some weasel-like Nightmarens, some blue, some white, and some yellow, who witnessed the event were howling with laughter as Nights comforted the poor girl. Cumula and Pidge looked at her with sympathetic smiles. Not wanting to spend an eternity in her prison, she used some magic to form cracks around the crystal quartz, while Nights turned himself into a jackhammer to chip into it through the cracks she formed. Their teamwork paid off and Crystal was released from her entrapment. Nights transformed back into his true form rather quickly while she breathed a sigh of relief. She looked over at the weasel-like Nightmarens, noticing that some were going somewhere while others were playfully jeering at her.

“Well,” she spoke while smiling sheepishly, “at least those weasel Nightmarens got a good laugh.” Nights laughed silently as he says, telepathically, “Those are Marlukes.” Crystal looked at one of the Marlukes, the blue one, who was pointing and laughing with her for the incident.

“Marlukes?” she repeated with slight amusement. The blue one giggled a little bit before it took off to join its comrades. Crystal added, “I guess they got the name because they look like martens.” Nights nodded and the quartet continued toward their destination with him leading the way. As they went in said direction, the same Nightmaren that watched Crystal dance in the Quartz Palace ballroom was watching the quartet with a warm smile. He knew where they going, and he was going to be sure they made it there safely. After making a circle in the air, he created a vortex and entered it closing it behind him as he did.

Back in Nightmare, Jackle is watching the event unfold in his domain. Jackle’s realm is similar to a toy box, filled to the brim with deranged toys with the floor in a checkerboard pattern once again. Unlike Reala’s realm, however, the checkerboard pattern was blue and yellow with the yellow portions containing blue spades and clubs, and the blue portions containing yellow hearts and diamonds. In the far corner sat a guillotine waiting to strike anyone foolish enough to place their heads or hands through the board beneath it. Reala entered this domain through his paraloop portal while Jackle was watching Crystal specifically and noticed her holding back her sneeze and saying angrily in a muffled voice, “Don’t, you dare!” He raised an unseen eyebrow to her statement.

“What’s wrong with sneezing, kid?” he told the image with a blank stare. Reala tapped him on the invisible shoulder as he cleared his throat. Jackle looked over at him and asked, “Yeah, partner?”

“I see you’ve returned from your patrol,” he told him.

“Yeah, but not empty-handed,” Jackle explained. He and Reala moved away from the deep purple quartz showcasing the image, but only for a few feet. Jackle held up a piece of parchment from his cloak pocket and handed it to Reala.

“Meet the Smokey Quartz,” he told him as Reala took the paper from his hand. “The kid took a couple of chunks from a separate one earlier for her visitor-sized persona.” Reala smiled at his progress and looked to Crystal in the image. He inquired, “Keeping a watchful eye, are we?” Jackle moved a bit away from the quartz crystal as he played with his cards, shuffling them in mid-air.

“Yeah, and she’s just started on her second trial,” he told him while shuffling them in the same way as casino dealers had done. “Whatever the resistance has in mind for her is beyond me.” Reala nodded in his direction before turning back to Crystal in the image. He noticed her stifling her sneeze earlier, but also made note of her about to sneeze again. This time, however, she couldn’t stop it in time, and she sneezed, causing giant crystal quartz to form around her, trapping an annoyed and angry Crystal inside. Reala chuckled at the sight as Jackle, who turned around in time to see her misfortune, began howling with laughter.

“Did you see that?!” he asked Reala as he flew right up to him and pointed at the crystal.

“Oh yes I did,” Reala replied amused with her misfortune. Ruby entered Jackle’s domain as the two chuckled. She took notice of Crystal trapped in large quartz and smiled with amusement.

“Did my good twin sneeze just now?” she asked them. Jackle flew over to her with a smirk.

“Care to tell us all about it?” he asked her as the shadowy man also appeared in a shadow-like ball of flame.

“Oh plenty,” Ruby replied. “I’ve seen it happen to her on many occasions. It’s called Magi Discharge and she’s had that since she was a baby. I know. It’s kind of silly. But give her three seconds and her powers go back to normal.” She then took notice of the shadowy man who had somehow walked toward the quartz to watch the event unfold for himself. Crystal sneezed, causing her entrapment. The man laughed wickedly for a short moment before turning to Reala.

“I had nearly forgotten about the girl’s malady,” he told him in amusement. “But this is not why I am here.” Reala floated to his level as the shadowy man added, “The second trial is related to the crystals you plan to harvest. It would appear that you had someone listening in on your minions. A spy from the resistance if you will.”

“I’m listening,” Reala grinned while stroking his non-existent chin. Jackle and Ruby looked intently knowing that things about to be intriguing to them. Things are only getting worse for Princess Crystal and her allies.

Meanwhile, Nights, Crystal, Cumula, and Pidge had just come across a series of pillars. Crystal recognized them right away as they were the same ones that she and Nights flew through when they were escaping Reala and his three vultures guards. Crystal looked down below to see what appeared to be a large canyon with no bottom in sight. She knew what to do straight away upon seeing this before her very eyes.

“Looks like we’re going to have to dualize to get across,” she told Nights. “I don’t want to try my luck with my telekinesis just yet.” Upon realizing her dilemma, Nights held his hand out to her gently, and she nodded to him. She put her palm against his, and they are once again engulfed in bright light. After it dispersed, only Nights remained, and he began to fly. Pidge and Cumula began the flight alongside him as they flew past the jasper pillars one by one flying through rings and blue chips as they did. As they flew through the canyon and weaved through this way and that, they took notice of the trampoline they used earlier to escape and veered past it, going in the opposite direction they had come from when escaping Reala. As they continued their flight, Aricolumn is shown watching the duo from his perch in the cave below them. He grinned and after making a few glances at the two, went straight back to Nightmare via the cave before him.

Nights and Crystal continued their flight to their destination with Cumula and Pidge flying alongside them. They weaved through pillars of quartz crystals as well as some onyx pillars. Crystal was helping him navigate and he obeyed every suggestion. Nights paralooped some Nightmarens that were in their way and used that same paralooping technique to save several Nightopians and good Nightmarens from the villainous blokes. Some of them required him to hold them in place before drilling into them to get rid of them. After five minutes, they made it to the other side of the canyon where land was finally in sight.

Nights and Crystal finally landed and separated as soon as they did. Pidge and Cumula caught up with them a few seconds later. Nights floated forward a few feet in front while Crystal and her companions followed. After stopping on top of the emerald green hill, Nights pointed in the direction of a certain canyon in the distance. This one had a stream of sapphire blue water going downward toward the Quartz Palace.

“There’s the trial site just up ahead,” he told her through telepathy.

“The Alexandrite Canyon,” Crystal replied after walking up to his side. “Thought I recognized that place.” She jumped down from the hill and landed right on her feet. Nights flew down to her as soon as she landed with Cumula and Pidge following right behind her.

“So what’s the objective of this trial?” she asked him.

“I’ve been scouting ahead to see what Reala was up to,” Nights explained through telepathy, “and it turns out he’s planning to harvest some life-sized gems from the canyon. See that quartz crystal over there?” He pointed to a life-sized quartz crystal in the distance with Crystal looking to where he’s pointing. She recognized the crystal from the color alone which was a lighter shade of blue.

“That’s a larimar quartz crystal,” she told him. “Strange. Those can only be found in the Caribbean.” She looked back to Nights just in time to see him pull out a map of the canyon.

“Right,” he told her telepathically. “But that’s not what he’s after.” He unfolded the map to show what he was talking about. “The ones Reala’s cronies are after are right here in these areas on the map.” Crystal took the map from him to examine it while he added, “There’s a total of ten quartz crystals and they’re a different type and color. I think you may recognize some of these gems since your kind is the gem experts.” Crystal gave a snicker upon hearing his remark. She didn’t take any offense to it as it was true.

“So the objective is to gather the quartz crystals before Reala does,” she told him while examining the map a little more. “I like it. It’ll certainly sabotage whatever he has planned for those quartz crystals.” She folded the map back up and handed it back to Nights.

“No, no, you can keep that,” he told her telepathically. “You’ll need it for the trial anyway. And I’ll be helping you gather them throughout the trial or the rest of the trials for that matter.”

“Oh?” she inquired. “Did the commander tell you to do that?”

“Yep,” he replied through telepathy while beaming. “She told me to stick with you from now on. Besides, I’d rather act as your bodyguard throughout the trials than let you do them on your own.” He playfully drew on her face causing her to giggle.

“That’s completely understandable,” she told him. “Especially given the circumstances. All right, let’s get this trial started.” She and the others got into position and the trial begins. Crystal ran forward toward the canyon side with Nights, Cumula, and Pidge right behind her. She ran past the larimar quartz crystal on the way over to their first destination. After checking the map, she made note of the first quartz crystal’s location and went in that direction with Nights, Cumula, and Pidge all following behind her as she did. After five minutes of running through the canyon, she and the gang came across a large, purplish-blue quartz crystal sticking out on the side of the canyon wall. It looked to be about five feet up from Crystal’s location. Cumula and Pidge both flew up to it and bounced up and down in excitement. Nights flew up to it, patting it like it was a pet.

“Here’s Reala’s first gem candidate,” Nights told her through telepathy.

“That’s an aura quartz,” Crystal replied. “It’s very rare to come by in the real world, so I can understand why he would need that. All right, let’s get this thing loose.” She rubbed her hands together enacting a static charge. After putting her hand on the side of the canyon as a test, it was magnetized to the canyon wall. She began to climb up the wall toward the aura quartz almost as if she was climbing a diagonal ladder. She managed to get to the aura quartz and she climbed about half an inch above it, letting go of one hand while the other was still magnetized to the wall.

Nights turned himself into a jackhammer again, this time to drill into the hole the quartz was trapped in. Crystal in the meantime was using her geomancy to push the large quartz out. Ten seconds later, the aura quartz began to dip down. Just as Nights transformed back into his true form, Crystal gave it a harsh kick knocking it loose from the cliffside. The aura quartz fell from its location and plummeted straight down.

Nights went straight to the ground just as Crystal jumped off the canyon side. Cumula and Pidge followed suit. Nights got to the ground at incredible speed and circled the ground to create a paraloop portal. As if on cue, the aura quartz fell into the portal below closing it in the process. Crystal performed a series of aerial twists in the air as she came falling to the ground. She landed right on her feet perfectly without a fuss, much to Cumula and Pidge’s relief. The aura quartz in question fell right into the resistance headquarters where Nightmaria and Hikaru were waiting for its’ arrival. The former caught it in her hand for a brief moment before using her telekinetic power to place it in the area next to her. Meanwhile, Crystal looked over the map and used her finger to cross out the location of the aura quartz before putting the map away.

“One down, nine to go,” she noted. The quartet then took off into the direction of another quartz crystal in hopes of obtaining it before their enemies do. As they took off in that direction, the shadowy man from earlier is shown watching them in a nearby cave. Growling like a dragon with a malicious grin, he teleported his way out.

Crystal and her allies were making their way toward their next quartz crystal in hopes of intercepting it before the Nightmaren Army can get their hands on it. She ran right alongside the canyon’s long winding road while Cumula and Pidge flew right beside her to keep up with her. Nights on the other hand was flying overhead as if taunting her from above her. Crystal looked up to see him further ahead and performing some aerial gymnastics in the air. She snickered slightly at the sight.

“You show off!” she yelled, teasing him. Nights, having heard her playful remark, used his power to create an image of a turtle walking a few inches lower than his walking pace. Crystal laughed upon seeing this, having interpreted his message. Nights flew right up to her with a playful smirk as she composed herself.

“Come on now, I’m not that slow,” she told him while smiling. Nights stuck his tongue out playfully before flying off in the direction of the next quartz crystal. Crystal ran after him with her Nightmaren pets trying to keep up with the duo. They continued through the canyon for five minutes, even facing a Nightmaren hoard during their trek through the winding area. Crystal was running toward what appeared to be a narrow path. But she knew better than to be fooled by appearances. She used her psychometry to reveal the true form of the path ahead of her. After confirming her suspicion, she and her allies soldiered on. They battled a Nightmaren hoard on the way over, but they managed to get to their destination in the nick of time.

After a while, Crystal, Nights, Cumula, and Pidge have made their way to a clearing with a circle of pink crystal quartz surrounding the area. There were other crystals of a different color, but they paid no mind to them. Crystal looked at the circle and was pleased with the arrangement. Nights flew right up to them in quick succession.

“Here’s our second one,” he spoke through telepathy.

“Rose quartz,” she told him. “Mom’s personal favorite. If memory serves, this is a healing crystal.” She surveyed the rest of the circle and made note of the multiple versions of the rose quartz. “Let’s take two of them just in case.” She approached one of them hoping to dislodge it to liberate them from Reala’s troops. As she tried to loosen her rose quartz, she and Nights got a nasty surprise when a hoard of crab-like Nightmarens ambushed them from the ground. One of them grabbed Crystal’s arm, causing her to jump in anger.

“Kircles!” Nights’ voice rang out in Crystal’s mind. She quickly shook the Kircle loose before brandishing her Millennium Rod. She and Nights got into battle position to get rid of all the Kircles. She said to him, “Let’s take care of these things before they get the rose quartz.” Thus the battle begins.

Crystal activated the spell Thor’s Hammer to stun the Kircles in place. Nights began his attack with a Halo Disc Barrage allowing the discs to ricochet off the Kircles. While Pidge spewed fireballs and Cumula puffed up to roll over her kin, Crystal activated the spell, Blazing Stream. This spell took the form of flaming snakes nearly setting their enemies ablaze. Nights used Dancing Star, twirling around like a ballerina while stars twirled around him. He did this while ramming into the Kircles, causing them to be knocked around for a loop. Using this to her advantage, Crystal activates Tornado to whisk the rest away. They won the first round, now a new group had been dispatched.

Crystal and Nights didn’t give up in the slightest, and neither did Cumula and Pidge. Working together, they used their respective spells, Twilight Flash for Nights, which creates a light so bright that it left the Kircles in a daze, and Spiral Dust Flurry for Crystal, in which she spins around in several circles causing a rather large blizzard to coat her enemies in snow, freezing them in place. She then activated Lava Sabre, the fire variant of the previous saber attacks, and performed a flurry of slashes against the frozen Kircles, causing some burns in the process. After a resounding riposte, Nights and Crystal regrouped. Having realized they are stronger together, the duo combined their strength into one with their combined spell Twilight Judgement. They locked their elbows together and twirled in a circle while rising into the air before unleashing a supernova-like aura so bright that the Kircles were all defeated in battle. The battle was over in a matter of seconds thanks to their combined efforts.

After the battle, the Kircles were all pushed away from the quartet, some vanishing into dust, others running away out of fear. A select few were angry at both Nights and Crystal as they left the area in a huff. The latter was relieved while the former twirled around in victory. Even Cumula and Pidge were impressed with them, bouncing excitedly.

“Well, that was one heck of a battle,” Crystal stated while putting her Millennium Rod away. “Ironically, I’m not even scared of crabs.” She looked at the rose quartz circle one more time before settling on the one closest to her. She focused her energy for a brief moment before performing a round-house kick on the crystal, dislodging it from its’ perch. Nights quickly created a vortex underneath it as it fell backward causing it to fall straight to the resistance headquarters. He then turned into a jackhammer again to cut the one he had chosen loose. It wasn’t long before the crystal had fallen into the vortex as well. The vortex closed soon after.

“That’s two down so far,” Crystal said while brandishing the map and crossing out the one they obtained already. She put it back in her satchel while adding, “Now we’ve got eight more to find.” She saw Nights flying in the direction of the next crystal quartz. He stopped to look back at her and wave her over. She knew what he meant and ran in his direction. As the quartet ran in that direction, one of Reala’s guards is shown hiding behind a jasper boulder. It was the one riding the magenta vulture. The rider is glaring at them, seemingly angry that their prize had been intercepted. He commanded the vulture to take off, which it did, presumably back to Reala to report the news.

Back at the resistance, Nightmaria, Lumière, Hikaru, the Nightmaren that was watching Crystal before in the palace itself, and a new Nightmaren were going over the crystal quartz that Crystal and Nights have gathered so far. Hikaru was jotting down some notes while the new Nightmaren was tapping it with what appeared to be a conductor’s baton. His appearance was the same as a 1st Level Nightmaren. He had white skin, short gray hair that was slicked back, and blue eyes. The top half of his body was like a conductor’s coat, brown with off-white cuffs, while the bottom part of his body resembled that of a violin’s neck without the pegbox. They seemed to be detached from one another. He also wore a pair of white gloves.

“Fascinating things, these quartz crystals,” he told Nightmaria. “If Reala was planning to use them for his nefarious schemes, I can understand why Nights would have her gather them before he did.” Nightmaria nodded in understanding.

“I’m glad you suggested that Nights go with her for these trials, commander,” Hikaru piped up. “Especially given the circumstances.”

“It is necessary,” Nightmaria spoke, “as the Dark Ideya may trigger at any given time. If Wizeman the Wicked and his followers were to find her alone while wandering the world around her, they are more likely to catch her off guard. Nights made the mistake to leave her alone to play in the dream world while he spoke with Owl, and he does not intend to make that mistake again.” Lumière looked over at Nightmaria and nodded.

“I don’t blame him,” he told her with a smile. “But to be fair, he didn’t know the kidnapper was waiting in the wings. In any case, she is now in good hands. Let’s hope Reala doesn’t catch on to her trial.” Nightmaria nodded to him before turning her back to the Nightmaren who watched her before.

“Silvermoon,” she spoke to him. “You may lead them to the quartz crystals that they may have overlooked. Ensure that she is set on the path of light.”

“As you wish, commander,” said the Nightmaren, now known as Silvermoon, who bowed to Nightmaria in respect. Lumière approached him and gave a gentle nudge.

“Good luck out there,” he told him.

“Thank you, Lumière,” Silvermoon replied. He created a vortex with a wave of his hand and entered it, closing it in the process.

“The rest of us will gather the crystals into the vault,” Nightmaria spoke to the group. “Once all nine are recovered, we will have fully dismantled Reala’s next Nightmaren. The sooner we trample his plan, the better.” Everyone resounded in agreement. Their plan of action is now underway.

Meanwhile, Crystal and her allies were all going to the next quartz crystal that they needed to gather. They went alongside the river of amethyst-colored water with Nights acting as the guide. They battled a few Nightmaren hoards on the way over but managed to defeat them in quick succession. They continued to trek their way through until they came across what they were looking for.

Nights and Crystal looked upon the cliffside to see what appeared to be the same crystal quartz that the former had come across. He flew right up to it and waved Crystal over. She in turn activates her magnetism to climb her way up to the quartz crystal with Cumula and Pidge in tow. As soon as she made it, Nights pointed to it.

“This is one that you’ll like, Crystal,” he told her telepathically. Crystal examined it before nodding to her flying friend.

“It’s a rainbow quartz,” she told him. “The same material used for my sword while I masqueraded as Lady Phantasma. I had a feeling this would be here.”

“Lady Phantasma?” Nights inquired telepathically.

“It’s a long story,” Crystal explained. “I ended up in the Dark Empire by accident after an incident at the Lee family mansion. I essentially had to act as the people’s Robin Hood because of the tyranny going on at the time. Anyway, let’s cut this one loose. Voyage.” After activating the vortex by circling her hand toward the ground, she placed her hand on the ground keeping the quartz in place, and focused her energy causing the area to form cracks. Nights turned into a jackhammer to widen them as she did this. Cumula and Pidge both held onto the quartz using the former’s puffed-up body to their advantage. Once the rainbow quartz was loose enough, Crystal used her telekinetic power to pry it from the ground and aim it over her vortex. Nights changed back into his true form and he, along with Cumula and Pidge, helped her guide it over the vortex. She followed their instructions, and as soon as the quartz was over it, she shut off her telekinetic power, dropping it into the vortex, causing it to close.

“Now we have seven more to find,” she told them. “Let’s keep up the pace, folks.” The quartet then took off to the next crystal quartz in hopes of getting it before Reala can intercept them. As they ran in the direction ahead, Ruby can be seen hiding behind what appeared to be a tanzanite pillar. She scoffed a little, knowing about Crystal’s trial. _Do y_ _ou think you can complete the trial? Well, think again, good twin._ She then teleported to go to another part of the canyon in hopes of stopping Crystal at the next quartz.

At another canyon, the magenta vulture and its rider were waiting for their superior to arrive. As soon as they saw a certain red and black vortex appear above them, the rider saluted. Reala exited the vortex with his arms crossed looking quite stern. It was as if he was rather annoyed with the interruption.

“Sorry to bother you, your lordship,” the rider spoke up, “but we got a problem on our hands here.”

“Speak your mind, young Goodle,” Reala replied sternly.

“Some of the candidates for Scorpnior’s core are being snatched,” the Goodle explained. “Follow me.” He tugged on the reins to get the vulture in motion and took off to where Crystal and Nights were seen last with Reala following close by. They made it to their destination in less than a minute before the Goodle pointed to where the rainbow quartz used to be. The Goodle was a bit miffed by this revelation as Reala looked angrily at the situation.

“Blast!” he exclaimed clenching his fist. As he turned around to think of his next move he added, “They’re intercepting the cores! I should have known they would be one step ahead. What of the other two?”

“We managed to find a spare each of the aura and rose quartz,” the Goodle explained. “So if I can find extra rainbow quartz around here, I’ll bring it right to you. I’ll also be on the lookout for that visitor that took us down last time.” Reala glared at his minion for a brief moment before lifting his hand.

“Do what you must,” he told him. “But I expect a much better report for next time.”

“Aye aye, your lordship,” the Goodle replied. He tugged on his reins to command the vulture to fly. After taking off to find the extra rainbow quartz, Reala pondered for a moment. _I can’t let these insurgents interfere with our plans. I need to find the thief behind the missing quartz crystals, even if it means searching the entire canyon to do so._ Reala took to the sky after his inner thoughts subsided. He wasn’t going to let the resistance win. He was going to find the culprit, and capture them at whatever cost.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have the introduction to another Level Three Nightmare, the Marluke. Aptly named because of similarities to the marten, a type of weasel, and the fact that they are known to sometimes stare at their prey when they laugh in a hysterical manner. They were loosely inspired by the woozles from the Winnie the Pooh series. It's also worth mentioning that we have a new character as well in the form of Cadenz. This character belongs to Eloze of DeviantART, so a big shout out to her for creating that character.


	21. The Trial Continues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal and Nights continue their trek through the Alexandrite Canyon to find more of the crystal quartz gems. Little did they know that there would be surprises around every corner.

While exploring more of the Alexandrite Canyon, Nights, Crystal, Cumula, and Pidge all went through the canyon in a straight path. They were taking at least three minutes to make their way to their next destination and it’s during this that they came across a Nightmaren Hoard. They dispatched them with ease thanks to their teamwork and their determined spirits. Once they handled the hoard, they continued their trek through the canyon.

After about five minutes of their trek, Crystal looked up to see what appeared to be a lilac-colored quartz crystal above them. It was upright on a cliff and looked to be unattended. She nudged her Nightmaren friend and pointed up to it. Pidge and Cumula followed her finger and bounced up and down in excitement.

“There’s a lavender quartz up there,” she said with a smile. Nights looked to where she was pointing for a brief moment before nodding in confirmation. She checked the map one more time to be sure. “Yeah, it’s one of the ones he’s after all right.” After putting the map away, she added, “Let’s climb on up and retrieve it. Nights, you take to the sky after it.” She went to the side of the canyon and activated her magnetism once again. While Nights flew up to the lavender quartz, Crystal climbed her way over there to meet up with him. Cumula was right below her puffing her body like a balloon so that she may catch her if she fell. Pidge also flew right beside her as she climbed her way up.

After reaching the lip of the cliff, Crystal jumped off the wall and ran up to it with Pidge and Cumula following her. Before they could reach it, however, a shadow-like orb flew right past the quartet and landed right in front of their prize. The orb then formed into a familiar girl who shared Crystal’s visage. Ruby has just arrived.

“Long time no see, good twin,” she mocked.

“Ruby!” Crystal shouted angrily her left hand clenched into a fist. Nights was a bit confused.

“Wait, you two know each other?” he inquired worriedly through telepathy while looking back and forth between the two girls.

“Of course we do, Nights,” Ruby spoke as if she heard him speaking to Crystal through that same telepathy. “I was supposed to be Crystal’s sister. But let’s just say life had other plans.”

“Stand aside Ruby,” Crystal retorted. “We don’t have time for you right now. We have a trial to take care of.”

“That’s the point, good twin,” Ruby replied laughing slightly. “I’m stalling your trial. Here is a bit of a spoiler for you; Wizeman coerced me to bring you and the rogue Nightmarens next to you back to the Nightmare Realm. As for what he has in mind once we get there, well you’ll just have to find out for yourself.” Nights felt uncomfortable upon hearing Ruby speaking these words and Pidge and Cumula both trembled in terror. Crystal angrily stood her ground intently digging her three-inch heel into the jasper earth to prove her point.

“We’re not going anywhere,” she stated sternly. “Nights already made his decision to protect Nightopia, and I won’t let anyone deny his right to freedom, not even his creator. As for me, I’ve already been there myself and I’m not exactly a big fan of the layout. Like I always say, our life is our own.” Nights perked up the moment she said this and smiled in her direction.

“You’re still giving out that peaceful freedom nonsense?” Ruby laughed. “Typical Crystal. Always the goody-two-shoes. Fine then. If you want this lavender quartz so bad, you’ll have to get past me. Come at me, Princess!” The two girls enter a battle stance with Nights nodding in Crystal’s direction with a courageous smile, his hand clasped over his rhombus. The battle between Crystal and Ruby has begun.

Ruby is shown sitting on the boulder next to the lavender quartz and giggling maliciously. She then brandishes her silver ankh scepter, and shoots a few orbs at Crystal, causing the young princess to dodge them with ease. Ruby rises and the battle begins. Crystal began to run around the arena with Ruby catching up with her. The latter activated Frozen Road in hopes of tripping her. Using the frozen layout to her advantage, Ruby skated toward Crystal. She was able to slide out of the way long enough to activate Blue Bell Swirl, a spell where she would twirl around as she is surrounded by blue fire. This thaws out the icy floor around them. Crystal then activated Tornado to make her dizzy, though sadly it was proven ineffective.

Ruby followed up with Nightmare Lorelei, a move that allows her to expel a series of shadow orbs and tendrils to surround the area, to confuse and damage Crystal. She succeeded, however, the young princess was not one to surrender so easily. She activated the spell Phantasmal Twilight to not only brighten up the area but release a series of large, crescent-shaped discs into the air. Some managed to damage Ruby as she dodged some if not all of them in quick succession. Crystal quickly followed up with Illusion Delusion, confusing with Ruby. As the doppelganger remained stunned in perplexed silence, Crystal activated her Phantom Sabre, the Spirit Magic version of the previous saber attacks. She ran up to Ruby and began to slash her in a flurry of swings. After a resounding riposte and Crystal’s part, Ruby regained her clarity and resumed her attack on her adversary.

Ruby used the spell Scalding Surge, an attack that sent a huge stream of steaming water in Crystal’s direction. The latter raised a shield a little too late, and she took some damage from the attack. She healed herself soon after, but not before activating Supreme Thunder to surround the arena. She did this more so to disperse the water than to damage Ruby who was fortunately ill-equipped to deal with the sparks with her lack of Lightning Rod. After some stray bolts struck her down, Crystal activated Rose Whip to attack her from far away. After a series of whip lashes on her part, Ruby awoke from her stunned state to continue her attack.

Crystal activated her shield again just in case, while Ruby activated the spell, Doppelganger, sending multiple copies of herself to attack her while preparing another one. One clone attacked with Rime Whip, the ice version of Rose Whip, and began lashing out at her. Another activated a series of Dark Cores and attacked her with a said spell. The last five used either Fireballs, Razor Leaf, or Black Ice Spear. Crystal was quickly getting overwhelmed by the clones but wasn’t giving up yet. She activated the spell Thor’s Hammer to quickly destroy the clones. This not only did so but dealt significant damage to the real Ruby. Crystal activated her Diamond Sabre attack and ran up to her. She performed a series of slashes before finishing with a riposte. Ruby got up from her dazed state to continue the battle.

While the two girls dueled, a group of Marlukes surrounded the lavender quartz and lifted it together to take it elsewhere, possibly to Nightmare. Crystal took notice but wasn’t worried as she knows her dream world all too well. She needed to take care of her adversary first. Ruby activated the spell, Flower Hurricane, in hopes of throwing Crystal off course. The young princess did take an excessive amount of damage from the storm, but she soldiered on, determined to end this battle swiftly without any more harm coming to her dream world. She quickly countered the storm with one of her own, Freezing Whirlwind, effectively freezing the petals and snuffing the two out.

Ruby used the spell Umbral Wheel, summoning a giant wheel made of darkness, and kicked it right at Crystal, who dodged it in the nick of time. She followed up with Phantasmal Mirage, causing a barrage of kaleidoscopic circles to surround her adversary. Crystal used Etoile Magica to shatter the circles, and causing huge damage to Ruby, knocking her out. She then activated Starlight Sabre, the cosmic variant of the previous saber attacks, and ran back to Ruby, slashing her multiple times one last time, finishing with a resounding riposte. Crystal had won the battle.

Ruby is shown cartwheeling backward to her end of the battlefield, and upon seeing their prize in the hands of her cohorts, she relaxed before straightening herself up. She made her scepter turn back into a ring she kept on her finger. Crystal relaxed as she put her Millennium Rod back in the holster before looking back at Ruby with a stern glare. Cumula and Pidge looked at their master with sympathy.

“Well, that was fun while it lasted,” Ruby told her with a malicious smile. “I can’t believe you fell for that, good twin.” It didn’t take long for Crystal to catch on.

“I guess you weren’t lying about stalling the trial,” she said nodding in the direction of where the lavender quartz was. Nights looked over as and pouted at Ruby for a brief moment before covering his face in annoyance. The doppelganger laughed.

“You caught on pretty quick, didn’t you,” she retorted. “I always knew you were smarter than the average Magician of Light. Good luck trying to ace the trial with one less quartz crystal, good twin. I’m looking forward to taking you on in the future.” As she spoke, Nights happened to glance in the direction of another pathway. Ruby laughed as she teleported away into a shadow-like orb once again. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief now that her doppelganger is gone. Nights took off in the direction of the canyon as Pidge and Cumula approached her to give her comfort. The former flew onto her shoulder and rubbed her head on her forehead, and the latter jumped into her open arms.

“Sorry guys,” she told them. “I kind of flunked this one.” Nights came back to tell her through telepathy, “Don’t give up yet, Crystal.” Crystal looked over to him as he added telepathically, “I found another one just around the corner. Follow me.” Nights took off into the canyon with Crystal, Cumula, and Pidge following right after him. After a short pathway, they came across a relieving sight. Nights flew toward the second lavender quartz which was hidden from view.

“Ta-da!” Nights telepathically told the trio. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief while Cumula and Pidge bounced up and down in excitement.

“Thank Ra,” Crystal said with a relieved smile. She ran up to the lavender quartz and knelt to the base placing her hand on the ground. After concentrating carefully, she focused her energy causing cracks to form beneath it. Nights became a jackhammer to cut the gem loose while Crystal prepared a paraloop vortex. Once it was loosened enough, she stepped back and activated her vortex causing the large gem to fall into the resistance headquarters.

“Four down, six to go,” she noted. She turned back to Nights and the gang before saying, “Let’s get going guys. I will admit, we should have known that some of them were going to guard, much like the keys in the last trial.” Nights cocked his head in confusion.

“Oh, you weren’t there when it happened, Nights,” Crystal said with an embarrassed smile. “Uh, Reala put groups of Nightopians in cages in the last trial. I’ll explain more about that later.” Nights puffed his cheeks a little upon hearing this. Reala’s image appeared in a mirrored pillar nearby as he looked over and stuck his tongue out. Crystal giggled at the sight.

“Not a big of traps, are you?” she asked giggling slightly.

“Nope,” Nights retorted telepathically while raising his head and pouting. Crystal giggled at the sight.

“I can understand why,” she told him. “Let’s move on, shall we?” Nights nodded while beaming and the quartet took off in the direction of the next crystal quartz.

Meanwhile, in Nightmare, Reala is shown alongside the shadowy man in his realm watching Nights and Crystal together in the flame torch. The former was looking at Nights in particular during a conversation with Crystal as she explained her first trial. He happened to witness him sticking his tongue out at him much to his annoyance. As the shadowy man chuckled at the purple jester’s antics, Reala dispersed the flame while retorting, “Child.” He shook his head in disappointment soon after. Suddenly, a burst of shadow energy came into the area and Ruby appeared from behind it, along with the group of Marlukes. They were carrying the lavender quartz together and were very gleeful about their find. Reala and the shadowy man looked over at her as she walked right up to them.

“Ah, Ruby,” the former spoke up. “I see your distraction had worked its magic.” Ruby dusted herself a bit before she spoke up.

“Yeah,” she replied, “we managed to get the real quartz before they did. Though there is one slight problem with that plan. Take a look at this.” She produced a map of her own from her satchel and opened it to reveal the gemstones they have in ordinance to Crystal and her allies. They seem to be equal in gathering their prizes. Reala was slightly perplexed at the situation.

“Strange,” he told her. “It seems we are evenly matched here.” He stroked his non-existent chin in thought while adding, “How is this possible?” Ruby put the map away soon after.

“That’s because Crystal may have picked up a spare somewhere nearby,” Ruby explained with a smile. “The Quartz Palace is filled to brim with gemstones.”

“That explains it,” Reala replied blankly. He was slightly annoyed with the situation but remained calm regardless. The shadowy man looked over at him with a sly look in his eyes.

“I would suggest intercepting them the moment they are close to completing the trial,” he spoke to him. “It will buy you enough time for your next champion to be ready and waiting for battle.” Reala looked over at his mystery ally and chuckled.

“What a coincidence,” he told him. “Master Wizeman had the exact plan in mind.” He reignited the flame torch once more with a snap of his fingers to see what both Nights and Crystal were up to. “Even if they found duplicates of our needed cores, there is only one that has no surplus nearby. Once they find that, well, let’s just say they won’t see me coming.” He chuckled the moment he spoke those words. The image showed the quartet heading towards the next quartz crystal unaware of their enemy watching them from afar.

Crystal, Nights, Pidge, and Cumula all came across a long canyon that stretched as far as the eye can see. The girl used her foresight to see which quartz they are hoping to collect next. She saw what appeared to be quartz whose top half was blue, and the bottom half was red. Crystal knew what it was right away.

“A bi-colored quartz,” she told. “Should’ve known.” She deactivated her foresight and checked both the map and the mirror to confirm her suspicion. She noticed that there was text forming in the mirror itself and was quite pleased.

“The mirror’s giving us some information,” she told them. “It says here that the bi-colored quartz is oftentimes used in rituals for twins, triplets, and so on. It is meant to serve as a symbol of good luck, and good health.” Crystal snickered slightly and looked at her flying friend, adding, “Kind of ironic considering my bad luck.” Nights was impressed with the information.

“Aren’t you one of them yourself?” he asked telepathically.

“Triplet to be exact, and yes,” she confirmed. “Specifically the eldest of three.” She put the mirror and map away and observed the situation. She examined how far they were from the bi-colored quartz and how deep the canyon was. They were about one hundred feet away from the gem, and the canyon seemed to have no bottom to land on should they fall. All that they could see down there was darkness.

“Nights, we’re going to have to dualize again,” she noted. “We’ll use your power to dislodge that gem, and once it bounces, we’ll use your paraloop to warp it straight to headquarters. If that thing shatters, it’s going to be a stalemate until we find a replacement.” The two nodded to each other and joined hands engulfing themselves in a bright light once again. Nights took off and flew toward the gem with Cumula and Pidge right behind them. Some Nightmarens were in the way of the flight forcing Nights to either use his paraloop to warp them away or hold them in place before drill dashing them backward. Crystal used her foresight to look on ahead. She saw another one of those pumpkin spirits she had seen during her trip to the Lost Park.

“Jack o’ Lantern twelve ‘o clock,” she noted.

“Jack o’ Wisp actually,” Nights corrected her through telepathy as he flew towards it and held it in place before paralooping it elsewhere.

“How fitting,” she complimented. “And it’s not even Halloween yet.” Nights and Crystal continued their flight to the gem as he paralooped some more villainous Nightmarens away. He then held a Hollow in place before drilling into it to get rid of it. Pidge was thankfully right next to Nights as he did this. They continued to fly on through toward the bi-colored quartz at an impressive speed. They even gathered some blue chips as they flew through the rings for safekeeping. After finally making it to the bi-colored quartz, Nights placed his hand on the quartz gem. After holding it in place, the duo concentrated hard before dashing into it knocking the crystal loose. Nights soon flew right down at breakneck speed and created a vortex in the air catching the quartz right on time.

“And with that, we are halfway done,” Crystal piped up. “Hey Nights, do you think you can fly us over to the next one?” Nights continued his flight as she asked this.

“Can you stand on your head?” Nights playfully spoke telepathically. Crystal snickered upon hearing this.

“We’re already heading in that direction,” he continued with a smile and a wink. “Save the questions for later.”

“Hahaha! Okay Nights,” Crystal replied with amusement. The duo continued their flight through the canyon, dodging as many pillars as possible. As they did, Aricolumn was shown lurking in the cave they had gone past without notice. He was glaring at Crystal intently as they got further away from him quickly becoming a speck in the distance. After a few moments of staring at the duo, he went back into the cave straight to Nightmare.

Crystal and Nights have just made it to a clearing and separated once they landed with Cumula and Pidge flying right to them. As they were about to walk through the grassland toward the next crystal, a sudden beam of light came shining in their direction from the left blinding the young princess. She instinctively put her arm in front of her face shielding herself from it. Nights took notice and flew up to her side. Cumula and Pidge followed suit.

“Crystal, are you all right?” he asked telepathically. Crystal peaked from her arm with an embarrassed smile.

“Sure,” she told him. “I just forgot to put my mask on. Let me just retrieve it real quick.” She dug into her satchel with one hand while using her aura sensory and pulled out her rose gold mask. She quickly pressed the button in the middle to activate the smokey quartz lens before putting it on. After putting her arm down she breathed a sigh of relief.

“There,” she said. “No more sun hurting my eyes. My namesake is notorious for redirecting the sunlight like a magnifying glass. Hence the smokey quartz lens. Anyway, let’s soldier on.” As the quartet continued their trek, Reala is shown behind a red crystal quartz pillar smiling an amused smile. _Hiding your golden eyes from the sun, are we? How ironic considering your present attribute._ He turned to a group of wasp-like Nightmarens beside him.

“Relieve the girl of her persona,” he told them. The swarm obeyed and they flew right to Nights and the gang with Reala grinning and chuckling at their incoming misfortune. Nights heard their buzzing sound and looked over in their direction. He emitted a silent gasp as Crystal, who also heard the sound looked up to see them about to swarm the duo, as well as Cumula and Pidge who were in distress upon seeing them. They swarmed them as she and Nights fought them off with a brief series of stars and other elements. Her mask was knocked off her face in the process and a quintet of the wasp-like Nightmarens took hold of it and proceeded to make off with it at a quick pace.

Nights saw the quintet and thought fast, flying right to them at break-neck speed. He paralooped two of them sending them back to Nightmare. As he flew right back to Crystal, who by that point had summoned her Zephyrus Peridot once again, she aimed the arrow at the new trio of wasps. The arrow was set alight as she let it loose allowing it to fly at the same speed as Nights. The arrows struck the wasp-like Nightmarens causing them to combust and burst into colors of flaming light dropping her mask in the process. Crystal and the gang ran right up to where they and the mask landed. The wasp-like Nightmarens vanished into dust the moment they arrived.

“Stupid wasps,” she muttered as she kicked some of the dust away while retrieving her mask. She lifted it to her face before saying, “Why would they steal my mask?” She put it back on and noticed that once she did, a strange glow was showing in her version. She was perplexed as she took the mask off. She put it back on to be sure and took it back off again. She then looked at Nights and asked, “Hey, what do you make of this?” She gave him the mask so that he can get a better look as well. He briefly changed it to fit a Nightmaren’s face before trying it on. He gasped excitedly while waving his hand a bit.

“Your persona’s showing a hidden object!” he replied through telepathy. He changed it back to normal before giving it back to her. Crystal put it back on to confirm what he told her. She realized what he meant and smiled before taking the mask off again.

“Well I’ll be,” she told him. “I didn’t know smokey quartz can do that in the dream world.” She put it back on and added, “It looks like it’s on the other side of the canyon wall. Come on.” She and her allies went straight to where the item they’ve discovered is located. After five minutes of trekking through the emerald green land and battling a few Nightmaren hoards along the way, they spied what appeared to be large smokey quartz in the area. Crystal snickered slightly upon seeing this.

“What a coincidence,” she told the others. “That’s the same material as my lens.” Cumula and Pidge bounced up and down upon seeing their prize. Nights was about to approach the gem, but Crystal stops him for a moment.

“Don’t get too close,” she told him. “There may be a group or two of Nightmarens nearby. Let me check my mirror real quick.” Nights nodded and flew to the right to see of any duplicate smokey quartz. Crystal took her mask off and retrieved her mirror to check the image. She looked over at the smokey quartz and noticed a strange moving shadow on the ground. Crystal checked the mirror one more time and recognized it right away. It was an image of Void in full view. Crystal rolled her eyes.

“Arrgh, that annoying shadow’s back,” she muttered under her breath. “Nights!” Nights poked his head out from his location the moment he heard her call and flew right to her. “Your baby sister’s here.” He was slightly confused at her phrase.

“Err, Crystal,” he replied through telepathy. “Prisma died, remember?”

“Not that one,” she responded with slight amusement before pointing at the shadow moving about as if mocking the two. Nights looked at it as well and gasped slightly knowing who was lingering in that moving shadow. Once it stopped moving, it increased in size and Void jumped out like a rocket before landing like a ballerina in the air. The shadow disappeared soon after she straightened herself up. Crystal took note of her change in color upon seeing her a second time with the black, white, and gray colors being replaced with shades of purple. The only color that remains intact is the silver in her attire.

“Hi again!” she said cheerfully to Crystal while waving to her and beaming. She looked at Nights with a pout and a stern look at the same time.

“Hello traitor,” she added with slight annoyance.

“Void!” Nights’ voice rang out to both Crystal and Void’s minds as he looked at her in total shock.

“Void?” Crystal inquired. “How appropriate.”

“Tee hee, you haven’t seen anything yet,” replied Void as she skipped in the air right to the smokey quartz beside her. “Sorry, but I’m claiming this in the name of Master Wizeman. Anybody who’s against him is a target.” Nights got into a battle-ready stance as Crystal looked at the two with a serious look. She looked over at Void. _Looks like she has both Light and Dark Magic as her power. As much of a nuisance as she is, I’ll need to be careful with this one._

“Ah-ah, no time for compliments,” Void told her playfully as if reading her mind. She positioned herself as if she were laying on her front in the air right above the smokey quartz. “I’ll tell you guys what. One of us will have to take this gem out of here, so we’re going to have to battle for it. The winner gets the smokey quartz.” She patted it as if it was a pillow as soon as she said that last part.

“That sounds easy enough,” said Crystal as she was brandishing her Millennium Rod.

“I didn’t say I was battling you,” replied Void with a wink. “I’m choosing Nights as my opponent.” Nights was already in a battle position as she said this. Crystal, upon seeing her Nightmaren friend with a serious look on his face, backed away from the field.

“You may have betrayed our people long before I was created,” said Void, “but you’re missing out on the good things about our home. I’ll gladly show you if you want to come back to us, big brother.” She grinned mockingly to Nights as she said that last part. Crystal cringed upon seeing her expression. _That’s just creepy._ Nights was not having her nonsense.

“If that’s a threat, then bring it on!” he retorted telepathically. “You and me, one on one!” Void gets up and takes on a battle-like stance as Nights approached her with his arm in a defensive position. The battle between the two has just begun.

Void is shown jumping out of her portal before zapping the air and producing what appeared to be a magic circle made of shadows. She then dove into her shadow-like void and zipped all around the arena before popping back out with a jump-scare before giggling returning to her composed state. Nights took off into the air to keep up with Void flying around at break-neck speed. She activated a series of dark light orbs and shot them right at Nights. He dodged them with ease with some of them being turned against by him holding them in place and aiming at her to attack her with. He then used the spell Etoile Magica, a spell he learned from watching Crystal fight Ruby. This dealt some damage to Void and it is shown as one of the circles in the magic circle is depleted. She quickly recovered and continued her attack on her brother.

Void activated Darkest Night covering the entire arena in darkness, thus allowing her to move freely while invisible. This left Nights no choice but to use his paraloop to try and find her. With every paraloop he had done, however, she would lay out a shadowy orb that would explode upon revealing its location. This caused some damage to the rogue Nightmare, but he wasn’t giving up. He used a new spell known as Piercing Light, brightening up the arena in conjunction with dealing Void some heavy damage. She tried the dark light orbs again, but Nights knew what to do. He used the same trick he did to bounce the orbs right back at her causing some damage. Void quickly recovered after puffing her cheeks and took flight again.

She then used the spell Shadow Wave causing a dark aura to envelope the area and cause some damage to Nights, as well as Crystal who was trying to stay out of sight. He took notice of her clutching her heart the moment the wave struck her while Pidge and Cumula were comforting her. This made him angry and he turned his attention to Void who was grinning menacingly while she giggled in childish delight. The two continued their aerial combat soon after.

Nights used the spell Celestial Comet, essentially mimicking his Drill Dash but with added celestial power to his move. He went barreling toward Void and knocked her for a loop causing some damage to his younger sister. She activated the spell Nightmare Lorelei which worked the same way that Ruby performed it causing some damage. She followed it up with Hexing Shade in hopes of confusing Nights. He wasn’t fooled one bit however and he dodged each cloud with ease.

As the two Nightmarens battled each other, Crystal was breathing rather heavily as she started to become enveloped in darkness again. Her hair was slowly turning black as night once more along with her sclera. Not willing to go dark again, she brandished her Millennium Rod and aimed at her heart in hopes of removing the shadow wave disc within her. Nights was watching her during the battle realizing that he needed to defeat Void and fast. He activated the spell Blinding Aurora which not only damaged her but did as it was intended. As she attacked him one more time with an array of Dark Cores, he held one in place and dashed into to straight at his sister, dealing some damage in the process.

Void wasn’t giving up on the battle, however, and she used the spell Chaotic Nightmare, a move which not only darkens the arena, but also brings a series of orbs, spiritual demons, and tendrils to attack Nights with. Some did cause some massive damage, but he dodged the others with ease. He then performed the move Shooting Star, a move that morphs him into a star to propel himself forward, ramming into her as soon as it made contact. He then followed up with a finishing move, Celestial Judgement, a move in which Nights would summon a series of meteors, bursts of light, and stars that seem to blind the opponent. Void’s last remaining orb was depleted, and the battle was won.

Void was propelled back into her shadow for a brief moment before she emerged with a look only a child could give to their parent when they couldn’t have a toy. She was pouting as Nights dusted himself off from the fight. Void looked over at Crystal one more time and glared. She noticed that the young princess was struggling to subdue the Dark Ideya within her as Void smirked.

“You better check on your visitor friend, Nights,” she told him. “She’s not looking so good. Guess I went a little too rough, huh. Meanwhile, I’ll be taking this off your hands.” She circled the smokey quartz beside her much to Nights’ dismay and activated her vortex causing her to fall into Nightmare. She waved mockingly at her sibling while she beamed and sank into her shadowy void and moving it back to where she came from. Nights could care less about the gem at this point. He immediately flew to Crystal’s side the moment Void had left the two alone, and he held her tightly as her eyes began to darken along with her hair. He took note of the pendant on her choker glowing brightly as she looked up at him with a somber look of weariness. As he, Cumula, and Pidge comforted her, he heard a familiar sound of a fellow Nightmaren flying in their direction. He looked over to see Silvermoon in the distance much to his relief.

Silvermoon had noticed Crystal in despair and looked solemnly at her with sympathy. Nights waved frantically at him and mimed for him to play his invisible instrument. Silvermoon nodded in understanding and positioned his arms to mimic a violinist. As he mimed the violin, a melody can be heard, the same one that Nights had used to subdue the Dark Ideya’s power. The purple jester breathed a silent sigh of relief. Crystal heard the melody and smiled in repose. The dark energy began to decline to allow her to rise from the ground with support from Nights, Cumula, and Pidge. Her breathing returned to normal along with her hair and eyes. She looked over to where the violin was coming from and took notice of Silvermoon, who had just finished playing the melody. She was ecstatic when she recognized him.

“Hey! It’s Silverwolf!” she remarked amazed by his appearance.

“Silvermoon,” Nights corrected her telepathically with a wink and a smile.

“Oh Silvermoon, excuse me,” she replied rather embarrassed. She then turned her head to Silvermoon while adding, “I think I’ve spotted you a few times at night before bed. Glad to finally meet you face to face.”

“The pleasure is all mine, your highness,” he greeted her with a polite bow. Nights mimed to Crystal why the intentional error in his name.

“Oh, that!” she replied. “We Magicians of Light call him Silverwolf since he only comes out to the real world during the full moon. It’s a nickname we gave since he’s a frequent visitor from the Night Dimension month to month.” Silvermoon nodded in understanding.

“I am well acquainted with the Waking World,” he replied politely. “It is my way of watching over the many visitors as they slumber away into the World of Dreams. For this reason, I joined the resistance in hopes of protecting them whilst they rest themselves for another day. Should a visitor, such as our fair princess, but met with turmoil, it is our duty to bring them to their senses, and subdue whatever ails them.”

“Just like how your invisible violin calmed me down,” Crystal added.

“Precisely,” he told her. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief once more as both Cumula and Pidge nudged her in sympathy. She looked over at where the smokey quartz was but wasn’t at all disappointed to see it missing.

“Void can have that smokey quartz by the way,” she spoke. “It’s pretty common anyhow, so I’m sure there’s a spare nearby.” She put her mask on to confirm her suspicion and saw a glow in the distance before nodding and taking it off again.

“Ah yes,” said Silvermoon. “I was just about to speak about this. I’ve been granted permission by the commander to assist the two of you with finding either a duplicate of the lost quartz crystals or ones you have overlooked during your trial. Reala is determined not to leave any stone unturned and we must act before the entire collection is placed in Wizeman’s grasp.” Crystal shuddered slightly at the mention of Wizeman the Wicked but did not falter in her conviction.

“Lead the way, Silvermoon,” she said with a smile. Nights nodded in agreement.

“As you wish,” replied Silvermoon with a returning smile. He flew past them as the quartet then took off after him toward the next gem. As they did this, Reala can be seen watching them from afar. Aricolumn was right below him as he too watched them from their hiding spot. While Reala grinned wickedly at them, Aricolumn glared with lust toward Crystal and hatred toward the Nightmarens beside her. The former looked at the latter and spoke, “Follow them. Once they reach the blue-moon quartz, stall them long enough for my men to retrieve it.”

“This should be easy,” Aricolumn replied with a smirk. “I’ll freeze them in place if I have to. I would suggest keeping your distance should things become unstable from our quarrel.” Reala chuckled at the notion.

“Lover’s quarrel I assume?” he inquired mockingly.

“I needed her soul to awaken the Eternal Winter,” Aricolumn explained. “But no longer. If she refuses to take my hand in marriage, then so be it.” He saluted Reala the same way he did the mysterious man in shadow and walked out of his hiding spot toward the group at a distance while Reala watched him with a malevolent smile. He was in for quite a show, and he would be foolish not to see it for himself.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our first battle chapter with Nights only. I failed to mention this earlier, but I've decided to give Nights a few more attacks besides Tap-Dashing, Paralooping, and so forth. I wanted him to have a variety handy just in case. Now I know I did say the name of those pumpkin Nightmarens earlier, but they have an official name now, and that is Jack 'o Wisps, because Jack 'o Lanterns are a staple in Halloween. Also the events in the Dream World AKA the Night Dimension take place during the summer if you're curious about Crystal's dialogue concerning the Jack 'o Wisps.


	22. Lover's Quarrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aricolumn strikes Crystal intentionally disrupting the trail. Due to past battles against him, Crystal is more than prepared to face him in combat. But can she defrost the situation before it gets out of hand?

Crystal and the gang were making their way to the next replacement quartz. They made their way past some jasper pillars and although they fought some Nightmaren hoards along the way, they never faltered in their mission. Silvermoon’s ability to create floral at will was integral to dispatching these hoards alongside his allies. After they’ve managed to make their way past the canyon side, they spy two quartz crystals of a different kind together, one was the smokey quartz, the other was yellow in color. Crystal recognized them both and was eager to remove them for Nightopia’s sake.

“Here is the duplicate smokey quartz, do you see?” Silvermoon stated as he pointed up at it. “And what luck we have as it is next to another quartz crystal that Reala has sought out.”

“That yellow one is a lemon quartz,” Crystal chimed in. “I’m halfway tempted to use that as part of a sword or a staff. But we’ll save that for later. Let’s round them up, gentlemen.” She made her way to where she wanted to start with Cumula and Pidge following behind her. Silvermoon and Nights nodded to each other before they flew to where she was. Crystal surveyed the area and noted that they were on the edge of a cliff. They noticed that the quartz duo was on another cliff that seemed to about eight feet away. In between and below the two was an area with a hole in the ground. It looked as if it was wet around the sides.

“Well,” she stated, “now’s the time to test the waters. Stand back.” She closed her eyes, and activated her telekinesis, and began to count as she floated in place with the rings around her ankles and wrists keeping her held in the air. She then started counting to herself in her mind. _One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten._ She peeked and looked down to see that she remained in the air. She breathed a sigh of relief as Nights clapped in encouragement while Silvermoon nodded with a calm tone.

“Dr. Fergali’s potion worked its’ magic,” she told them with a slight chuckle. She then looked over at the crystals and added, “All right, let’s see if I can get across.” Crystal began to float over to the chasm carefully with Cumula puffing up underneath to help break her fall just in case. Pidge flapped her wings beside her to help her balance. As she carefully floated her way over, a sudden rush of water came up at full force causing Crystal to fly backward involuntarily. She flew backward so fast that she fell on the ground in a crash disabling her telekinesis. Nights and Silvermoon rushed to her aid with Cumula and Pidge the following suit. She rubbed her head a little healing whatever injury she sustained in the process.

“Hoo,” she exclaimed with an embarrassed smile. “Geyser.” Nights gave a silent laugh as Silvermoon chuckled slightly.

“You didn’t check the hole, didn’t you?” he asked telepathically as she got herself up and dusted herself off.

“You know what, forget this,” she said wholeheartedly amused by the situation. She ran up to the cliff and kicked the side causing a narrow bridge of rainbow quartz to appear. She magnetized herself to the side and said to them, “Old-fashioned way.” She began to side-step the narrow bridge with Nights and Silvermoon guiding her. Cumula once again is beneath her with her body puffed ready to catch her with Pidge flapping her wings beside the Shleep. Crystal stopped for a moment waiting for the geyser to appear again before a second one gushed out from the hole below. It took only five seconds to go back down.

“All right, we’re clear,” Crystal told her allies. She proceeds to side-step some more while keeping it slow and steady so as not to fall into the chasm below. Luckily Nights and Silvermoon were thinking ahead as well with the former taking her wrist gently and pulling her along. Silvermoon wrapped a vine around her waist to help keep her balance as she continued her side-step maneuver. There were moments where some of the rainbow quartz bridge crumbled, but she managed. She continued this side-stepping technique until she managed to make it to the other side. Nights let go of her hand once she was on the stable ground while the vine around her waist retracted back into Silvermoon’s hand. Crystal observed the two quartz crystals.

“Let’s start with the smokey quartz,” she started, “Then we’ll deal with the lemon quartz.” Nights made a vortex under the cliff to catch the gems while Crystal worked to push the smokey quartz from its position. She continued to push it until it was dislodged and she gave it a good kick knocking it loose. The gem fell straight into the vortex closing it. Crystal then set to work on the lemon quartz. She was using the same method as the last one, pushing it to point of dislodging it. However, she lost her footing and crashed into it causing it to tumble out of its’ perch and fall to the vortex. Nights caught her by the wrist before she could fall in herself while Pidge and Cumula looked on in fright. Crystal looked down to see Silvermoon create a vortex of his own to catch the lemon quartz right on time much to her relief. She grabbed onto Nights’ wrist as he pulled her to safety with Cumula and Pidge pushing her gently from behind. She walked a few feet away from the cliff as Silvermoon approached the group.

“That’s seven down now,” she noted. Silvermoon was slightly confused by the number of quartz she had mention and Nights mimed that he found ten crystal quartz that Reala was after.

“Strange,” he replied. “I was informed there was nine. Perhaps the tenth is the true target?”

“Maybe,” said Crystal. “Nights and I have probably mistaken ourselves. We’ll have to look into this once we find out what that next Level Two Nightmaren is.” She brought out the map and showed Silvermoon the remaining crystal quartz gems. He looked it over and nodded with a smile.

“I see,” he replied. “Nights was overseeing his sibling’s operation.” He looked to Nights and spoke, “I apologize for doubting you old friend.” Nights mimed that he forgives him and that it was probably his fault for the miscalculation.

“I understand,” he told him. “But even a mishap such as this could benefit in many ways other than ours.” Nights nodded agreement while Crystal replied, “That’s true in more ways than one.” She looked over at the map one more time and made note of the next gem in another area.

“The next one is just up ahead according to the map,” she noted. She put the map away and pointed at the path ahead of the group and turning to Silvermoon.

“Would you mind leading us to it?” she asked him.

“Gladly, your highness,” he responded politely and kindly. He floated to the front of the quartet and beckoned them to follow him. As he went forward, Crystal, Nights, and the two pet Nightmarens started to follow him. Aricolumn was not far behind as the quintet continued their trek. He glared a little bit at the group as Crystal was about to follow Silvermoon toward their next destination. He began his trip toward her as well in hopes of keeping up with her.

Silvermoon and the gang were making their way past the jasper earth to another part of the Quartz Palace with the new part covered in emerald grass once more. They made their way to the area and running into a few Nightmaren hoards along the way. Crystal’s elemental magic along with Nights’ cosmic magic and Silvermoon’s plant magic was integral to defeating the hoards. They took ten minutes traveling through the area and came across another canyon to fly over. Nights and Crystal dualized with each other while Silvermoon flew on ahead. As they flew through the canyon, Cumula and Pidge were flying alongside Nights assisting him along the way. Some 3rd Level Nightmarens were in the way and he managed to overcome them. Some he held in place before drilling them, others he paralooped.

“There’s the gem just like the map told us,” Crystal spoke up. She used her foresight to confirm this as she saw what appeared to be crystal quartz that looked rainbow-blue.

“And judging from its coloration,” she added with a slight surprise, “I’d say this one’s a blue moon quartz.”

“Is that one rare in the Waking World?” Nights asked telepathically.

“Extremely rare,” she told him. “It will cost you an arm and a leg to have that thing in your possession. Just like a lapis lazuli. No wonder Reala is after that thing.”

“I would rather not speak of he whose loyalty is absolute,” Silvermoon interjected. “Should he know of the location of our insurgency, I fear it may spell doom to both visitors and Nightopia.”

“Right,” Crystal replied cringing. “Shutting up now.” Nights and Crystal continued their flight through the canyon to the location of the next gem. While they followed Silvermoon, who was flying ahead to their destination, they defeated some Nightmarens blocking their path. Some were Marlukes, others were Jack o’ Wisps, and some others were Lumiralans. Nights tap-dashed some with ease while the Lumiralans were paralooped. After reaching the next emerald grass-covered cliff, he and Crystal separated with the latter saying, “Adeema.” After seeing Silvermoon wave them over, they sprinted ahead to keep up with him. As they did that, Aricolumn is seen once again, and he was smirking at the arrangement. He came out of his hiding spot and followed the group at a distance.

Crystal was carrying Cumula in her arms with Pidge on her shoulder as she walked alongside Nights while they followed Silvermoon. They can see the blue moon quartz up ahead and were ecstatic. Silvermoon stopped for a brief moment to look behind the group. It didn’t take long for the quartet to notice his stern expression. Crystal broke the eerie silence.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“We are being followed,” Silvermoon stated as he narrowed his eyes to whoever was behind the group. Her heart sank upon hearing those words.

“It’s not Reala again, is it?” she inquired with slight fear in her tone. She held her Shleep friend tightly as Pidge trembled.

“No,” replied Silvermoon. “I sense a visitor approaching. He shows no sign of benevolence.” Crystal and Nights looked behind them to check who it was. The former wasn’t surprised as she had encountered Ruby before even though they did not share the same Nightopia as she did.

“Sounds like another Sorcerer of Darkness,” she told them. “But who?” As she thought it over, Nights went to check on the blue moon quartz. Pidge looked over and looked as though she saw a ghost. She cawed in fear to get Crystal’s attention causing her and Cumula to look at her.

“What is it, Pidge?” asked Crystal. Pidge pointed her flapping-wing at the area behind them causing the princess to use her foresight to see who was behind them. She sees the familiar image of Aricolumn charging his attack before throwing it at the front. Crystal realized what Pidge and Silvermoon were trying to say.

“Duck!” she shouted to her allies. She jumped out of the way while Nights and Silvermoon both flew into the air and Pidge and Cumula both flew into hiding behind a tanzanite boulder just in time to see a frosty bolt zoom past them and encase the blue moon quartz in ice. Crystal looked over at the quartz and recognized it right away as she looked back at the assailant. Aricolumn has just walked toward the group with a smirk on his face.

“Aricolumn,” she stated sternly. “I thought I recognized that Rime Shot.”

“Well, well, well,” he said smugly. “If it isn’t my dearest, Princess Crystal. I knew we were meant to be, my little snow fairy.”

“I should’ve known Wizeman picked you to join his team,” she retorted.

“Of course,” he replied not faltering from his villainous smirk. “How else would I prevent you from taking what rightfully belongs to the Nightmare Realm? This blue moon quartz shall be in our custody from now on.” Nights flew to Crystal’s side to check on her and looked over at him.

“Is that your boyfriend?” he asked telepathically.

“Ex actually,” she replied turning her head to Nights. “My actual boyfriend is wide awake.” She turned back to Aricolumn and added, “And when are you going to take the hint that you’re not the right kind of man for me? Don’t tell me you forgot that you placed Domino City in Sub-Zero temperatures just so everybody can freeze to death while you rose to the top.” Aricolumn laughed wickedly at Crystal’s variant of events.

“The Eternal Winter was necessary, my dear,” he told her. “The last hurrah to the end of a tumultuous heat wave that plagued our home time and time again. And you were the key to my achievement. It’s a shame that you are now engaged to one whose father treated him as if he were a pawn to his endeavors.” Nights was a bit confused at this as Crystal is a bit too young to marry. Silvermoon was not as he noted her resolve very clearly.

“Even so,” Crystal spoke, “Casper is a much better man than you’ll ever be. A word of advice, next time you try your hand at another girl, don’t play the puppeteer. Let her pull her own strings.” Nights was impressed by her speech while Silvermoon nodded in approval. Aricolumn glared slightly at her with a stern expression.

“If you refuse to submit to your future king,” he replied, “then so be it. I’ll freeze you solid along with your insurgent Nightmaren friends. Have at you!” Crystal looked to Nights and Silvermoon and sent a message through telepathy.

“Silvermoon, Nights,” she stated telepathically. “Scout ahead for an extra blue moon quartz just in case.”

“Understood,” Silvermoon replied telepathically.

“Thaw him out, Crystal,” Nights replied telepathically cheering her on. The two Nightmarens took off as Crystal brandished her Millennium Rod. Pidge and Cumula cawed and bleated respectively cheering her on as the two prepared for battle. The skirmish has just begun.

Aricolumn is shown walking rather slowly as frost is surrounding his hand as he brought it to his face with a calm expression. He flicked some frost in Crystal’s direction as if he were blowing a kiss her way. She dodged it before it reached her heart. He looked at her lustfully as he prepared two more frost orbs for battle.

Crystal began to run around the arena as Aricolumn used Ice Shard. She dodged some of the shards but took some damage in the process. Aricolumn used Rime Tendril in hopes of using its’ frosty ribbons to capture her. Crystal thought fast and used Dragon Breath, a move where she used her hand as a funnel to blow a draconian flame. This quickly destroyed the frosty tendrils. Aricolumn wasn’t giving up in his quest to freeze her, however. He used the spell Frost Fusion which worked the same way Crystal had performed it during an earlier battle. She received damage from the attack but her resolve remained strong.

Crystal began countering with some Fire Magic to thaw out some of the frosts that had accumulated throughout the fight. She activated the spell Blue Bell Swirl to trip him up. He was knocked for a loop. As he remained dazed, she activated her Lava Sabre, the fire variant of her earlier saber attacks. She ran up to Aricolumn and began to slash him with a flurry of flaming slashes. He woke up and activated an Arctic Sabre of his own and parrying some of her attacks. She managed to perform a resounding riposte leaving a burn in the process.

Crystal continued to slash at Aricolumn as the two ended up locking their saber attacks in a power struggle. After noticing Reala instructing some Lumiralans and Marlukes to take the quartz, she frowned slightly. He looked over at her with a grin and took off into the air as soon as the Marlukes and Lumiralans took the quartz crystal into the cave straight to Nightmare. Crystal did not intervene however as she needed to focus on the fight at hand. After turning her attention back to her ex, she began to push his Arctic Sabre with her Lava Sabre, and by the strength of will, she succeeded and used the spell Blazing Whip to lash at him and strike him multiple times. After collapsing in a brief daze, Crystal ran back to her position to give him some breathing room before he recovered quickly.

Aricolumn activated Diamond Dust Furry causing snow and ice crystal flurries to scatter about the arena. Crystal knew this move all too well as she had used it many times before. After taking some damage from the attack, she countered it with Vulcan’s Hammer, the fire variant of Frozen Road. This quickly melted the icy flurries away and dealt massive damage to Aricolumn. He quickly recovered and used the spell Black Ice Dagger, a move in which he summons a quintet of icy spikes that float and surround Crystal in a halo ring. Thinking fast, she activated a flaming shield before the spikes protruded and struck her. She survived but took some damage from the attack.

As the battle raged on, Nights and Silvermoon had arrived carrying extra blue moon quartz in tow. They flew in just in time to see Crystal using Blazing Whip again to lash out at Aricolumn. Nights waved over to her and she looked over to him. He pointed to the blue moon quartz and winked in her direction as Silvermoon nodded to let her know that it was recovered. She breathed a sigh of relief, and sensing her ex about to strike, she dodged his attack. He noticed their extra quartz and growled in frustration.

Aricolumn then activated the spell Raging Glacier which worked the same way Crystal did with one of the Goodles. She was buffeted by a storm of snow crystal shards before she used her Heat Wave to silence the freezing storm. This in turn caused some major damage to Aricolumn in the process. Taking this as an opportunity to finish the fight, Crystal followed up with a Burning Mandala, a move in which she summons a series of fiery magical circles and blasts him with them. She then ran up to him and activated Lava Saber one last time, slashing him multiple times with a flurry of slashes before finishing with a flaming riposte. The battle is over.

Aricolumn was pushed back right into a nearby jasper tree causing him to collapse in pain. He was grabbing the side of his stomach as if she had injured him. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief as she put her Millennium Rod back in the holster. Silvermoon and Nights flew right to her to survey any damages she received. Her Nightmaren pets followed suit. They then looked over at a still collapsed Aricolumn as she nodded to them that she was all right.

“How can…you side with…” he spoke his breath ragged, “…the very beings meant to…bring fear to our kind…?” Crystal glared at her ex-lover with contempt.

“Because these Nightmarens beside me are not like the others,” she told him. “They were given free will and chose to pull their strings rather than let a higher being control them like pawns. You should know all too well that I’m a firm believer in peaceful freedom. Maybe when you rule your own kingdom one day, even one of snow and ice, you’ll understand how to rule the country without an iron fist.” Aricolumn glared at his former lover as he rose painfully from his position grunting as he did.

“You truly are an intelligent…woman…,” he complimented. “I do not intend to surrender…since I am allied with Wizeman the Wicked. But…I respect your decision. We shall meet…again.” He staggered as he formed himself into an orb and veered away from the group. Crystal nodded in recognition for his temporary surrender. Nights hugged her from behind squeezing her slightly as he did. Crystal nuzzled him in response while beaming.

“I’m impressed with your speech, your highness,” said Silvermoon smiling as the two turned to him. “As you have stated, our free will allowed us to choose our own path. Wizeman may have created us, be it to frighten visitors such as yourself or to gather the Ideya he desires to rule Nightopia with, but he has forgotten that those created from a higher being are known to defy expectations.”

“Exactly, Silvermoon,” she replied.

“I prefer playing with the visitors and Nightopians myself,” Nights replied with telepathy. “Besides, it’s better than scaring the living daylights out of people. If we didn’t have Nightopia, we wouldn’t have this literal gem of a world.” He winked upon speaking that phrase through his mind.

“Right,” Crystal responded with a smile. “And speaking of which, let’s take care of the blue moon quartz you gathered real quick.” She activated her portal as Silvermoon nodded and Nights pushed the blue moon quartz into the portal leading to the base. The portal closed soon after.

“Now there’s two more to find,” Crystal noted while marking down the objects they’ve acquired on the map. After putting it away, she added, “And the map says that it’s up ahead near the final crystal quartz gem. Here’s hoping that it’s not guarded.”

“No Nightmarens are near the star quartz as we speak,” said Silvermoon. “I’ve looked ahead while you were off collecting the others.” Crystal was shocked to hear the name of the next quartz.

“Did you just say star quartz?” she asked her eyes widened with surprise.

“Yes,” replied Silvermoon rather amused by her reaction. “I assume you’ve heard of it?”

“That quartz crystal is even rarer than the blue moon quartz!” she explained while frantically waving her arms around. “Not only does have multiple uses, but you have to wait for a few years to get one if it’s out of stock! Just the other day I tried to get one for my sister’s birthday-!” Silvermoon chuckled slightly at her rant. Nights, who was looking at her with a bewildered look while she kept spouting nonsense and looked at Cumula and Pidge while pointing at her. He charged a star the size of his hand as Silvermoon gave a nod of approval to his fellow Nightmaren. With a playful smile, he threw the star at her head causing her to see stars for a brief moment with a bewildered look.

“Thanks, I needed that,” she said calming down from her excitement while rubbing her face in embarrassment. Nights gave a silent laugh while Pidge and Cumula both snickered at their master’s sudden change in mood.

“I think I pulled an Owl with that rant,” she laughed slightly. Silvermoon nodded with a reply, “He is known for long conversations. And speaking of which, he should be arriving at the next location at any moment. Come along everyone.” Silvermoon took the flight to the general direction of the star quartz with Nights, Crystal, and the two 3rd Level Nightmarens following suit. As they did, Reala, who returned to see them celebrate their victory, was watching over them from behind large red quartz. He grinned wickedly at the group, especially Crystal and Nights.

“Enjoy your victory while you still can, you two,” he spoke aloud. “The Nightmare has only just begun.” He then took off to follow the group to the next crystal quartz.

Back at the base, Nightmaria was examining the crystal quartz that the quintet have gathered so far while Owl was ruffling his feathers slightly as if dirty. She was pleased with the arrangement as was Owl as he smiled while observing her at work. As she took a closer look at some of the newer ones that Nights and the others obtained, a new Nightmaren peeked in from the door. She looked to be female, and she had a color scheme of cyan, blue, and icy blue. She had green eyes and pale skin, like Nights and Nightmaria, and wore a cyan-blue, jester hat with three tassels, each adorned with a golden-yellow bell at the tail, and three, thick blue stripes, a blue-collar and inverted-v vest, a cyan-blue jumpsuit with icy-blue baggy sleeves and blue cuffs at the end of the sleeves, and a pair of knee-high boots. The boots mutually had a blue line at the hem as well as the hem being shaped like a triangle pointing up and a golden yellow dot at the top. However, the right boot had the left side cyan-blue and the right side blue. This pattern was reversed for the left boot. She came into the room rather timidly as Nightmaria looked in her direction. Owl gestured with his wing for her to come in. She came from behind the door and entered closing it shut just in case.

“Pardon me, commander,” she said rather soft-spoken, “but we have a slight problem.”

“Speak your mind, Mouse,” Nightmaren spoke to her patiently. “There is no need to be shy about your words.”

“Um…about the quartz trial,” said the Nightmaren is now known as Mouse. She was nervously putting her two pointer fingers together as she said this. “Apparently…Nights found a tenth quartz crystal…that we didn’t know about.” Nightmaria was perplexed at the news.

“That’s odd,” she stated. “I thought there were only nine to collect.” Owl looked at the commander with a smile.

“Perhaps there was an error on their part,” Owl replied. “Nightopia is known for leaving a surprise or two at times of uncertainty. I believe it is wise to take the spare crystal quartz gem just in case. One never knows when the item they sought could become of great importance.” Nightmaria smiled while Mouse breathed a sigh of relief. Soon after, a second Nightmaren came into the room. She looked similar to Mouse with some vast differences. She had skin as white as snow, and she had blue eyes. Her jester hat was cyan-blue with three tassels, each one decorated with five thick blue stripes on each one. The hem of the hat, however, was lined with a blue stripe, and the tassels had dark-blue orbs with stars in the middle. She wore a blue skin-tight top with a dark-blue chest collar decorated with her yellow crescent-moon shaped gem and two four-pointed stars beside it below her cyan-blue collar, cyan-blue sleeves, yellow cuffs, and four-pointed stars lined beside them, a pair of cyan-blue shorts with the yellow hem, and the same stars lined above them, a pair of cyan, finger-less gloves with yellow cuffs, a four-pointed star on the back of each glove, and smaller versions lining near the cuffs, a pair of calf-high boots with the top part cyan and foot portion blue lined with yellow trim, soles, and hem, the same crescent-moon shaped gem at the top, and dark-blue orbs with stars acting as the spurs, and a dark-blue belt around her waist decorated with small, four-pointed stars and the same crescent moon gem. She was much braver than her twin and entered without hesitation.

“Sorry to barge in, but can I add on to this news, commander?” she asked.

“Yes Luminaire, what is it?” asked Nightmaria.

“Well, as it turns out,” said Luminaire, “Wizeman has a few visitors working for him all of which are related to our recruit, Princess Crystal. She fought two of them while getting both the lavender quartz and the recently recovered blue moon quartz. And also, the Nightmaren commander is tied with the number of crystals we have right now. So we need to get both the star quartz and the extra quartz crystal out of there before they do. Otherwise, it’s curtains for her and the Quartz Palace.” Nightmaria pondered for a moment before her immediate reply.

“Which means they are gathering duplicates of their original targets,” she told them. “That would explain why we are evenly matched. I will send Rose in their direction just to be safe. One never knows when Wizeman’s most loyal soldier would appear to sabotage their goal. Owl, if you wish to accompany her to their location, please be our guest.”

“I am already on my way to them,” said the old bird. “I’ve made a promise to keep an eye on her and I will uphold this resolve until she is ready to face the very terror that she endured at such a young age.” Owl immediately disappeared the moment he said those words. Nightmaria smiled and looked to the crystal orb in the room which showed Crystal, Nights, Silvermoon, and the two Nightmaren pets together heading in the direction of the star quartz. Luminaire and Mouse looked over at the image before looking back at their commander.

“What if you know who catches them?” asked Mouse rather timidly.

“Then may Morpheus have mercy on their souls,” replied Nightmaria. “For now, however, we mustn’t let the quartz crystals or the princess fall into the wrong hands. I pray that they return safely after they’ve recovered them.”

“Sounds good,” Luminaire responded. “Let’s go Mouse.” The two left Nightmaria in peace as she looked to them quintet with a hopeful smile. _Keep fighting, Princess of Ophelia. May the light of Nightopia become your beacon of hope._ The image continued to show Crystal and her allies heading towards the area where the star quartz is located. Little did anyone know that Reala was planning something menacing for our heroes. By the time they retrieve the final quartz crystal, it will be too late for them to notice.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our first appearance of both Mouse and Luminaire. Mouse belongs to Sipp (if she's reading this, then shout out to her), and Luminaire belongs to me. I felt that it was necessary to include these two as part of the story given the circumstances today.


	23. A True Warrior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal rescues a Nightopian on her way to the final quartz crystal. Can she fight the Gaos plaguing this creature, or will it become their latest meal?

Crystal, Nights, Silvermoon, Cumula, and Pidge all continued to traverse the area toward the quartz crystal they were looking for. They were going through an emerald green canyon fighting a few Nightmaren hoards in the process. As they made their way past, they can see what appeared to be a fellow rebel Nightmaren in the distance. Crystal waved in their direction. The rebel waved right back and took off in the direction of the star quartz. Crystal and her Nightmaren allies followed suit. As they made their way over, they crossed a sapphire-blue river with Silvermoon and Nights flying over it, and Crystal using an amber bridge to get across. They took about five minutes of traversing the emerald grass plain even fighting a few more Nightmaren hoards along the way.

As they made their way over, they got a better view of the Nightmaren they have waved to. She was the same rank as Nights and Silvermoon with snow-white skin, long, lime green hair, and pink eyes. She wore a pink and green rose dress with pink boots, green tights, a red collar, and a pair of pink roses in her hair. Crystal was enamored by her appearance as roses were her favorite kind of flower. The quintet ran right up to her as she beamed at them.

“Hi everyone,” she greeted them politely.

“Fancy meeting you here, Rose,” said Silvermoon.

“How do you, madame?” Crystal greeted with a curtsy. Nights beamed at Rose with a wave.

“Looks like you guys made it just in time,” she told them. “The commander sent Owl and me to the star quartz just in case Reala and cohorts came in to take it before you can.”

“Smart thinking on her part,” replied Crystal impressed with their initiative. “By the way, where is Owl?”

“He’s over by the star quartz,” Rose explained. “Follow me, everyone.” Rose took off in the direction of the star quartz with the quintet following right behind her. Looming behind them, however, was Reala who was tailing them the entire time. As soon as they were heading in that direction, he followed them and stayed hidden behind the various quartz crystals they’ve gone past along the way waiting for the moment to strike.

Meanwhile, Owl was on a perch next to the star quartz waiting patiently for the group’s arrival. A group of Nightopians and good 3rd Level Nightmarens were playing together near the quartz with what appeared to be an emerald sphere. Among them was what appeared to be a Nightopian with Hollow-like eyebrows, and a collar that matched the Hollows playing with him. The group approached them just as one of the Nightmarens bats the emerald gem so hard that it came to the group at break-neck speed. Sensing this, Crystal ducked her head just in time for Nights to catch it in his hand. The Nightopian with the Hollow-like eyebrows and collar approached them and babbled an apology for the hard throw. Nights pat the little one with his free hand before giving the ball back to it. After a few quick nuzzles, the Nightopian hybrid went back to their friends to continue their game. Crystal was intrigued by its’ appearance.

“How about that, a half-Nightopian,” she stated complimenting its’ appearance with a smile before turning her head to Owl.

“A Mepian to be precise,” Owl told her while beaming. After opening his eyes, he explained, “Sometimes a Nightopian would bump into a Nightmaren by pure happenstance, thus creating the result before you. Although they inherit the chaotic side of the Nightmaren, the Nightopian side of the Mepian is what tempers it from causing any harm to the rest of their kin.”

“A balance of light and darkness,” she noted. “I like that.” She looked over at the star quartz and walked over to it with Nights, Rose, and Silvermoon following behind her. Owl stepped aside while Crystal looked over at him and said, “Thank you for babysitting the star quartz, Owl.”

“You’re welcome,” he beamed. Crystal knelt to the ground and placed her hand on it to form cracks on the earth. Nights became a jackhammer to cut the gem loose while Silvermoon and Rose held the quartz steady. As soon as they were able to remove it, Crystal used Voyage to activate a portal, and Rose and Silvermoon dropped the large star quartz into it closing the portal in the process. Cumula and Pidge both jumped for joy almost in unison.

“That leaves one more quartz crystal,” Crystal stated.

“Which reminds me,” Owl told the quintet. “It would appear that the final crystal quartz was counted by mere mishap. However, given that most of the ones the Nightmarens have targeted have been acquired, I see no harm in collecting the tenth one as well. Reala is, unfortunately, catching up with you and Nights so now it is a race against time.”

“Not good,” replied Crystal cringing. Nights got into a battle stance the moment he heard this.

“I fear it may be far worse once we complete the trial,” Owl stated with slight fear. “If you obtained the final quartz crystal, regardless of our current position, I’m afraid that it may spell doom to this Nightopia as well other dream worlds to follow.” Crystal looked at the ground solemnly as her Ideya of Courage glowed brightly in her hand. Pidge and Cumula both nudged her in reassurance.

“Not if we have anything to say about it,” Rose told him enthusiastically. This perked up both Crystal and Nights as well as gave relief to Silvermoon and Owl.

“We’re gonna beat them right to the punch,” said Rose, “even if we have to fight Reala and his Goodle squad to do it.” Crystal was perplexed by the name of Reala’s guards before realizing what she was talking about.

“You mean those buzzards from the chase and 1st trail?” she asked rather amused at the mere mention of them.

“No, those are Buzzares,” Nights told her through telepathy while giving a silent laugh. “The riders themselves are called Goodles.”

“Ah, I see,” she replied with slight amusement. She turned to Rose with a smile.

“Our final crystal quartz awaits,” she told her. “Shall we head on over there?”

“You bet,” Rose replied. “Once we get that thing, Reala’s going to bad so mad he’ll light a tree on fire.” Crystal shuddered slightly upon hearing that notion while Cumula and Pidge both huddled behind her in a panic.

“I can’t imagine how that would play out,” she replied. Nights pat her on the back for reassurance while Silvermoon nodded in agreement, adding, “He is known to have quite a temper. Many of my colleagues have witnessed it first-hand.”

“Myself included,” replied Nights with telepathy. He mimed Reala’s behavior when angry with an image of him throwing a fireball at a nearby tree before taking off.

“Yeesh!” replied Crystal with a cringe. She composed herself while she began to move forward. “Let’s move on before he sees us.” The others nodded in agreement and went to catch up with Crystal, Owl included. Little did they know that there was danger around the corner, and things were about to take a turn for the worse.

Meanwhile, in the Nightmare Realm, the mysterious man is shown to be watching the event unfold through Reala’s torchlight. He was watching Crystal in particular, glaring daggers into her while his eyes narrowed as if he was sneering at her. Prowling alongside the shadowy man was Clawz who was growling at her in contempt. As he roared at the image of Crystal and the gang going toward the final quartz crystal, the man turned his head to the red-striped panther with a smile.

“Patience young panther, patience,” he told him petting his head in reassurance. “Your master is already on their trail. And not a moment too soon as they are reaching the final quartz crystal.” He turned back to the image to see Reala hopping from pillar to pillar to give them the element of surprise. The man grinned at his colleague. He added, “This intervention should be quite a show to behold.” He chuckled knowing all too well about how Nightmarens ambush their prey when they least expect them to appear. The light continues to flare as the image of Crystal and the gang appears in the previous image’s place.

Nights, Crystal, and the others were all going through an emerald green mountainside in hopes of getting to the final quartz crystal before Reala and his army can. As they made their way over to it, they ran into some hoards of Nightmarens. They were dispatched by all, except Owl who was cowering in fear the moment they appeared. They continued their trek shortly after and they used the river as their guide. As they continued to follow the river, another Nightmaren hoard appeared and attacked the group. The hoard was quickly dispatched as well. After this, they went about their way and made it past a clearing, still following the amethyst colored riverbank beside them.

As they made their way through the valley, they felt a disturbance in the air. The group looked around to see a crowd of Nightopians and good 3rd Level Nightmarens overlooking a cliff. Nights and Crystal took a closer look and realized the problem. A lone Nightopian with a broken wing was holding onto a pearl spike for its dear life. It looked down to see a trio of lion-like Nightmarens approaching the poor soul by going from stump to stump of the rocky mountainside.

“Gaos,” Silvermoon inspected the Nightmaren group approaching the Nightopian. The group that was staring at the situation looked at the group and frantically babbled in their language about the danger down below. The broken-winged Nightopian looked down to see the Gaos quickly approaching it and screamed before ducking its head into the spike it was clinging onto. Crystal was worried about the Nightopian as she knew what it was like to be in its’ shoes.

“Poor little fella,” she noted with a worried look. She looked over at Nights, and said with a smile, “Let’s give him a hand.” Nights nodded in agreement with a heroic smile. Crystal summoned a vine from her before tying it around her waist and tossing the other end to him allowing him to turn into a crane for better leverage. Being the brave girl that she was, she jumped off the cliff while still attached to the vine while Silvermoon and the others came to their side to supervise the rescue. As soon as Crystal was down to the level of the cliff the Nightopian was trapped on, she used her magnetism to cling her feet onto the side of the mountain. She looked the situation over to see Gaos quickly making their way to the Nightopian. After nodding to herself, she began to run on the side of the mountain. As she ran while similarly holding onto the vine like a mountain-climber, Nights moved toward where she was going to help her along. She ran so fast that felt as though she were swinging in the jungle. She jumped just in the nick of time before holding her right arm outward in hopes of catching the Nightopian. As the little one cowered in fear, Crystal caught it before the jaws of one Gao nearly bit the tiny dream creature.

“Up you go,” she told the Nightopian as she hoisted it onto her shoulder. It clung on to her as swung so high up that she flew high into the sky. She brandished her Millennium Rod rather quickly as she did this and activated Diamond Sabre to cut the vine attached to the crane, essentially cutting herself loose. Nights transformed back into his true form as he, Owl, and his fellow insurgent Nightmarens watched her twirl in the air as she fell while holding onto the Nightopian and her Millennium Rod. She landed right on her feet before performing some flips on the ground and then performing her aerial twist and landing on her feet while crouching. She looked up to see the group of Nightopians approaching her and the Nightopian in glee. The celebration was cut short when they heard the Gaos roaring in their direction.

“Looks like it’s not over yet,” she told her allies. As the group of Gaos managed to make it to the cliffside, they landed on the ground and roared at the group. Nights, Crystal, and the others got into a battle stance. Owl and the broken-winged Nightopian went into hiding soon after.

“Come on, gang,” Nights’ voice rang out to Crystal and the other four allies. “Let’s show these Gaos we mean business.” Crystal and Silvermoon nodded while Rose added, “You got it, Nights.” Thus the battle against the group of Gaos begins.

Crystal began with the spell Magnitude 8 in hopes of tripping the Gaos up during the battle. This worked while Nights used Dancing Star to ram into them. After noticing some incoming Gaos, Silvermoon activated the spell Flower Hurricane to confuse the new group. Rose used the spell Petal Storm to amplify Silvermoon’s already active Flower Hurricane for good measure. Crystal, having deduced rather quickly that the Gaos used thunder and lightning magic, used the spell Diamond Formation, a spell where she summons an array of colored diamonds and kicks them one by one into the targets as if they were soccer balls. Pidge and Cumula were pitching in with their respective attacks as well, even though they were vulnerable to the Gaos electrical attacks.

Nights began using Celestial Shower, a move in which he summons a large group of stars to rain down on his opponents. Some of the stars land on the Gaos confusing them as they did, while new ones were coming by the minute. Crystal ran up to the group of dazed Gaos and began to slash at them with Diamond Sabre. While Rose and Silvermoon used their respective Trumpet Lily, a move in which lilies appear and blast a powerful horn to disorient the enemy, and Leaf Storm, the nature equivalent of Celestial Shower, to take care of Gaos surround her, Crystal used her flurry of slashes to dispatch the ones in front of her. She finished them off with a riposte. Pidge used a series of Fireballs to get rid of some stragglers while Cumula bowled them over with her puffed up cloudy body.

Some of the Gaos tried to use their electricity to try and take down Crystal, but she would absorb their attacks every time as if they did not affect her. Nights was intrigued by this revelation as Crystal used the charge she absorbed to her advantage. She gave them a taste of their own medicine through the spell Thor’s Hammer. Impressed by her power, he flew up to her and hugged her before continuing the fight.

“Tee hee, those Gaos didn’t see that coming,” Nights spoke telepathically as he used Lunar Rings, the Moon equivalent to Halo Disc, against another group of Gaos.

“Thank goodness for my Lightning Rod,” Crystal replied while attacking another with Blue Moon Quartz Missile. “It’s not just an attack by the way. It’s also a passive ability. Simply put, any thunder and lightning attack used on me will get absorbed right away, and all I have to do is disperse it via another attack of the same type.” She used the move Smokey Quartz Tomb to pin some Gaos down as she said this.

“That explains it,” Rose chimed in while using Rose Whip to lash out at the pinned Gaos.

“I’m afraid this is no time for compliments,” stated Silvermoon as he used the spell Frenzy Plant to summon large tendrils to whip those Gaos into submission. “Let us dispatch these Gaos first and foremost. We cannot risk them attacking the Nightopians any further.” He used Venus Frenzy to summon large Venus flytraps to attack the Gaos.

“Right,” replied Crystal. “Let’s get this taken care of.” Nights used Twilight Flash while Crystal used a new spell Rainbow Quartz Frenzy, a spell that summons a group of large rainbow quartz spears that swirl, prod, and pin enemies in place, to get rid of the hoard of incoming Gaos coming in their direction. To finish off the rest, Nights and Crystal activated a new joint spell Heaven’s Judgement, the light equivalent to their earlier used Twilight Judgement. This defeats the rest of the Gaos, earning their victory.

Most of the Gaos was pushed back with enough force that most were dazed while others vanished into a cloud of dust. Some ran away in fear while a select few that survived glared at the quintet and roared angrily at them before taking off. Crystal breathed a sigh of relief as she put her Millennium Rod back on the holster. Nights, Cumula, and Pidge all came to check up on her as she looked over at her allies.

“Well, that was one heck of a storm,” she noted. She looked over at the broken-winged Nightopian and called out, “Are you, okay little guy?” The Nightopian nodded as he is surrounded by the rest of his kin. The young princess walked over to it as the front of the group dispersed, thus letting her through while she added, “Here, let me help you.” Nights joined her as she knelt to the tiny creature’s level and placed her hand on its broken wing. She began using her healing power on it to ensure a full recovery. In a manner of seconds, the wing was being reconstructed painlessly and with no effort required. Crystal finished with the spell with a very happy Nightopian jumping for joy. It jumped so high that Nights had to catch it before it went too far.

“Easy little fella,” Crystal stated while laughing. “Try not to move around too much, all right?” The Nightopian babbled a thank you to her before returning to its’ friends. Owl came out of hiding soon after, flanked by Rose and Silvermoon. Cumula and Pidge nudged Crystal as she got back upright.

“My word that was awful,” Owl spoke. “That poor Nightopian would have been captured had you not intervened in time.” Nights beamed while Crystal nodded in response.

“A true warrior always steps in to help those in need,” Crystal stated with a smile. “Even while we’re on a mission. I’ve personally been through a lot since I was twelve, and I’ve learned since then that it never hurts to put personal goals to help my fellow man whether it’s fellow Magician of Light or otherwise.” Cumula and Pidge bounced up and down in response to her reasoning. Silvermoon nodded and Rose beamed at this.

“Well said,” said Owl. “I’m glad to see you’ve grown into a fine young mage.” Crystal nodded and Nights hugged her tightly in excitement, to which she reciprocated. He released his grasp. The Nightopian that she and Nights rescued approached them and babbled something to the duo.

“You want to help us with the final quartz?” Crystal asked. The Nightopian nodded.

“All right, lead the way,” she said. Silvermoon nodded in agreement as the Nightopian made its’ way to the front of the group. Crystal and the group began to follow the little creature toward their destination. While this occurred, Ruby was watching from afar and looking at Crystal in disgust. She knew that she was going to complete the trial no matter what. After scowling at Crystal for five seconds, she entered the cave next to her back to Nightmare.  
  
To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This, along with the next chapter, was supposed to be longer. However, I noticed how long it was getting, and thought I would split it into two chapters. The next one will be coming tomorrow in the afternoon. Please look forward to that. Also, Rose the Nightmaren belongs to me.


	24. The Final Quartz Crystal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal and the gang are about the complete the second trail of her initiation into the resistance. But what happens when things take a turn for the worse?

Crystal and the gang were making their way to the crystal quartz while Reala was a bit ahead of them hiding behind a large tanzanite pillar watching them. The group walked past it without noticing him despite the gem’s clarity. Rose, who was slightly ahead of them as a guide alongside the Nightopian, took notice of some droplets from her earlier encounter with two of the quartz crystals she and her friends collected. She stopped the young princess while raising her hand with the Nightopian upfront looking at her in confusion.

“Did you go for a swim?” she asked a little curious about the situation while pointing at the wet spots. The Nightopian noticed and giggled. Crystal caught on the moment she mentioned the watermarks on her skirt and camisole and looked down on them.

“Oh, this?” she asked pulling down her camisole to inspect them. She scoffed slightly before looking back at Rose and saying with a smile, “This is what happens when you use telekinesis near a geyser. I will admit, I wasn’t paying attention when it happened.” Cumula and Pidge both snickered at their master for her mistake while she snickered slightly at her embarrassment.

“It’s true, she wasn’t,” Silvermoon added confirming her story.

“That explains it,” said Rose beaming.

“Geysers tend to be unpredictable here in the Quartz Palace,” explained Owl. “Nights once used one of them as a trampoline at one point. Though the result was rather amusing it was a success.” Nights nodded in agreement while beaming with a grin. Crystal looked back at the playful Nightmaren and snickered a bit upon hearing this.

“Just be thankful it was the ground that sneezed and not you,” Nights told her through telepathy while playfully using his right pointer finger to make circles on her face as she shut her eyes tightly with a smile. She brushed his hand aside, and responded with slight amusement, “Believe me, Nights, if it was me, you would all be life-sized popsicles right now.” Reala, having heard her comment, chuckled in amusement. He heard Nights laughing silently while hearing his telepathic message, “Good point.”

“All right, let’s move along,” stated Crystal as the group followed the river to the next part of their journey. Reala, who by now had stopped laughing at her comment looked over at the young princess with a menacing grin. As she disappeared into the next part of the river, he emerged from his hiding spot and took the flight to their next destination.

Meanwhile, back in the resistance headquarters, Nightmaria was watching the group as they traversed past the plain through the crystal ball. She took notice of Reala following the group and frowned. Her stern expression caught the attention of Leo and Seraphinite. As they approached her, they too took notice of the situation.

“Uh, why is Reala following them?” asked Seraphinite perplexed.

“Oh no, he’s already catching on to the situation,” said Leo while burying his face in his hand.

“I was afraid of this,” said Nightmaria sternly. “And just when they are close to completing the trial.”

“Should we go in and give them a hand?” asked Seraphinite.

“No, that would raise too much suspicion from the Nightmaren Army,” the commander responded. “We’ll allow them to gather the final quartz crystal first. If things take a turn for the worst, we will call for reinforcements.”

“Yes ma’am,” responded Leo and Seraphinite in unison as they saluted their superior. They left the room just in case while she continued to watch the group. She is now certain that Reala is planning something for Crystal. Unfortunately, she was about to be proven right.

Crystal and the gang were all following the riverbank to the final quartz crystal with the Nightopian and Rose as their guides. As they made their way past some jasper pillars, they also did battle with some Nightmaren hoards. Owl was too frail to battle, and as such stayed out of sight while the others handled the situation. The Nightopian joined Owl as it was too frightened to fight. Crystal’s elemental prowess combined with Rose and Silvermoon’s floral magic and Nights’ cosmos proved integral to the battle. Pidge and Cumula did their part as well with their respective abilities. After the hoards were dispatched, they carried on with their trek through the emerald green terrain. Little did they know that Reala has been following them throughout the whole journey to the final quartz crystal.

The gang had finally arrived at the clearing with what appeared to be an onyx-made monolith standing over the river. Behind it was what appeared to be a dam blocking the riverbank causing it to flood, and right next to it was a huge gate acting as the entrance to the next area. Right at the foot of a cliff behind the monolith was white, clear crystal quartz that seemed to have a milky texture within the base. Crystal was amazed by the size of the monolith as it seemed to tower over both the cliffside and the river. The Nightopian was pointing upwards at the quartz crystal, and the young princess made note of it.

“That monolith is huge,” she noted. She then turned to both Nights and the Nightopian and asked, “Are you sure the final quartz crystal is up there?”

“You bet!” Nights spoke telepathically while nodded in excitement. “Wait right here while I get it for you.” He then took off into the air like a rocket causing Silvermoon and Rose to laugh slightly. Owl shook his head in embarrassment.

“I do wish he would sit still at least once in a while,” he remarked. “But at least he’s mature enough to remember the task at hand.”

“Yeah,” said Crystal in agreement. “But to be fair, that’s the child in him shining through. I’ve seen some folks embrace their childish nature in the real world.” Owl beamed upon hearing this statement. She looked up at Nights, who by that point had turned into his jackhammer form to break the white quartz loose. After releasing it from its perch, he changed back into his true form and grabbed it from the middle before it could fall. He then flew to the top of the onyx monolith and presented it to Crystal who recognized it right away with an amused look.

“Ta-da! The final quartz crystal!” Nights’ telepathic voice rang out in her mind. Crystal snickered upon seeing it with her own eyes.

“A milky quartz?” she asked laughing at his find in amusement. “Why would they want that? It has terrible charge!” Nights gave a blank look upon hearing this. With his eyes half-shut while smirking, he pushed the milky quartz into the open slot on the monolith and it began to light up with white shining markings. The gate behind it also began to light up, along with the sides of the canyon, much to Crystal’s shock. Rose was excited to see the event, and Silvermoon was smiling while this occurred. Cumula and Pidge both bounced up and down along with the Nightopian next to them. The gate began to open upon lighting up like a Christmas tree. It slowly opened while emitting a loud rumble. It stopped the moment it opened fully to let the others pass. Crystal was in total shock over what had transpired. Nights flew right up to her, his eyes still half shut with a smirk on his face. Owl looked at her sympathetically while Cumula and Pidge were snickering at their master’s reaction. The Nightopian was giggling at her reaction as well.

“You were saying?” Silvermoon asked with a playful smile. Rose giggled upon seeing Crystal’s face which morphed from shock to an embarrassed beaming smile with a sweat-drop at the drop of a hat.

“I stand thoroughly corrected,” she replied after a second of clarity. Nights stuck his tongue out playfully while Cumula and Pidge both nudged her as a way of forgiving her for the mishap.

Back at the base, Seraphinite, Hikaru, and Nightmaria were all watching the group and witness the whole event. The latter snickered at Crystal’s reaction while Hikaru was giving a slightly embarrassed laugh. Nightmaria smiled despite herself. She knew that Crystal had more to learn about Nightopia and its’ culture, and was willing to forgive her for the mishap.

“Bet you she was thinking about the Waking World when she mentioned the milky quartz,” Seraphinite said while giggling slightly.

“At least she knows what you-know-who is planning to use those quartz crystals for,” replied Hikaru. Nightmaria nodded in agreement with a calm, “Hmm.” She looked back at Crystal with a smile. _Not everything is at it seems, princess. I implore you to remember it well._

Back at the Quartz Palace, Crystal and the gang took notice of two Marlukes pulling the milky quartz out of the monolith. Nights, upon seeing them, quickly sprung into action to catch them. He was too late however as they saw him coming and purposely pushed the quartz straight into the amethyst river beside the group. They taunted him for a brief moment before disappearing into the cave next to the monolith, much to Nights’ anger and annoyance.

Crystal, not willing to stand by and watch, ran off to keep up with the quartz itself while activating her super speed. Nights was returning to the group as she did this and was shocked to see her running after it. Pidge and Cumula both cawed and bleated in distress upon seeing their master take off while Owl hooted in fright, and Rose called out to her. The young princess was too focused on trying to retrieve the milky quartz to even listen to her.

Back at the resistance, Hikaru, Seraphinite, and Nightmaria all looked on with concern. Nightmaria remained the most stoic of the three while she watched Crystal run right past the milky quartz, which was flowing along with the raging river. She can see how determined she was, and was waiting for what the young princess had in mind to catch the milky quartz. With a stoic face remaining, she said, “Don’t give up, your highness.”

Crystal was further ahead of the milky quartz as Reala watched the whole scenario from thirty feet above the canyon. He watched her run as fast as an athlete on the race track with a vindictive smile. The young princess used her foresight to determine where the quartz was flowing to and made note of the waterfall straight ahead. As the milky quartz continued to flow with the river, Crystal hopped from one rock to another down to the area below, while Nights and the gang have already made their way over via the former’s vortex. Owl was frantically flapping his wings as he watched the event unfold.

“Get her out of there!” Rose told Silvermoon.

“No wait!” he retorted knowing what the young princess was doing. Crystal, having made it to the area down below, ran straight to a tanzanite rock that seemed to cut through the river. She saw the quartz coming and with all her power, she mustered her wind magic into her and jumped forward so high, that she felt as though she could fly. As the quartz fell over the waterfall, just as she planned it, she caught it mid-jump across the river, and with an aerial flip in the air, she landed right across the river on the other side. She was kneeling in exhaustion as she had the quartz close to her body as if she was carrying a wooden log.

Folks at the resistance cheered the moment she caught the quartz, Nightmarens, Nightopians, and visitors alike. Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief as Seraphinite yelled in excitement. Nightmaria smiled stoically, proud of what Crystal had accomplished. Meanwhile, Nights flew straight into the air with enthusiasm while Owl hooted in amazement. Rose clapped in excitement while Cumula and Pidge bleated and cawed in joy. The Nightopian cheered in glee.

Crystal, having caught the quartz in time, got up from her kneeling position, and wiped her brow as she panted in exhaustion. She looked over at her friends as she waved over to them to let them know that she was all right. She even pointed to the quartz crystal for good measure. Silvermoon nodded calmly with a smile acknowledging her accomplishment.

Reala was quite amazed at how courageous she was against the roaring rapids. Despite this, however, he knew she was going to achieve her goal in either direction. As he heard flapping behind him, he turned to see his three Goodles riding their respective Buzzares. He turned back to the group, his face morphing into half-shut eyes and a malicious grin. Upon giving the command, he and his men began to fly in her direction. His mission was not over yet.

Crystal brandished her Millennium Rod and raised it to the sky to activate the spell Cleansing Downpour above herself. It is a spell that cures all ailments, natural or otherwise, with relaxing raindrops. After five seconds, the healing was complete and the clouds dispersed soon after allowing her to put her weapon back on the holster. Nights and the rest of the entourage were heading in her direction as she was about to head toward them.

“Crystal!” Rose called out to her in excitement as Nights flew right into her with a bear hug, causing her to drop the quartz onto the grass. “Are you okay?” Owl landed right on the quartz as if guarding it while the others complimented an embarrassed Crystal. Once the compliments were finished, and Nights released the girl from his bear hug, Owl piped up.

“I must admit,” he spoke, “you did give me a quite fright when you went after that quartz. But I knew that your courage would guide you all along.” Nights looked at him with a playful smile as he said this as if to say, “Sure you did.” Crystal giggled upon seeing Nights’ face.

“Thank goodness for training in gym class,” she said. “Not to mention gymnastics. Those are essential for both battling and cheer-leading.” Silvermoon nodded in agreement while Rose winked at her. Owl got off the quartz when she came up to it allowing her to pick it up. They crossed the nearby bridge to the other side as Nights flew up ahead and created a vortex. Crystal walked up to it with the milky quartz in tow.

“The last one,” she piped up. “And so completes the trial.” As she put the quartz over the vortex, a large blue fireball came hurtling in their direction right into the vortex causing an explosion of blue and red flames, thus destroying it. Crystal was knocked back by the impact as the group was scattered, dropping the quartz in the process. Owl hooted in fright while Crystal looked up to find the source of the attack. She gasped as, to her horror, Reala and guards were flying straight toward them. Nights flew right to her to check on her when he noticed him too. Silvermoon and Rose made it to her side as well while Cumula, Pidge, the Nightopian, and Owl followed suit.

“Did you think I hadn’t noticed?!” Reala called out to them as if he were taunting them. He stopped in front of the group within twenty feet away from them, his grin showing malevolence.

“Reala!” Rose shouted angrily. Crystal was struggling a bit to rise while turning to Owl, the Nightopian, and her two Nightmaren pets. She shouted to them, “Cumula, Pidge, Owl! Get help! Little guy, take cover!” The Nightopian got frightened and flew away as instructed, while Owl disappeared in terror, and Pidge and Cumula cawed and bleated in unison to acknowledge her order. They flew away to a nearby cave straight to the Dream Gate immediately after escaping the skirmish.

Crystal got up and went straight to the milky quartz, picking it back up as soon as she did. Before she could relay it to Nights, who was imploring her to give to him, it was pulled forcefully from her grasp. Reala taunted her by saying, “I’ll be taking that if you don’t mind.” The milky quartz ended up above his hand as he added, “Since you’ve had the gall to take the others, to begin with, it’s only right that I have my share.” Crystal at this point mustered up the courage and brandished her Millennium Rod while Reala created a vortex with his free hand, and threw the milky quartz straight into it. As she and Nights sprung into action, joined by Rose and Silvermoon, Reala sent his Goodle squad straight to them.

Nights was about to fly toward his sibling before Reala snapped his fingers causing a cage to form around him and trap him in the air. It was the same type of cage that trapped Nights earlier, but this time he wasn’t forced to wear his mask. Crystal saw the whole thing as Silvermoon and Rose went to go after Reala. Crystal wasn’t going to let this slide.

“Nights!” she shouted to him as she ran towards the cage. The Goodle trio quickly surrounded her as they jeered and taunted the girl. Crystal had no choice but to fight them as she summoned her Clashing Whip to attack the Goodle trio and their Buzzares. She lashed out at them as they taunted and ducked her every move.

Meanwhile, Silvermoon and Rose tried their best to defend her from Reala while he attacked them with a series of flame orbs. One of them was hurtling straight for Crystal who quickly blocked it while still dealing with the Goodle squad. Rose and Silvermoon both used their respective attacks with Venus flytrap and a rose petal storm. Reala in the meantime was taunting the duo with some shadow orbs thrown in as well as the aforementioned flame orbs. After a direct hit from Reala’s attack, Silvermoon collapsed in pain. Rose flew right to his side as he held onto the side of his stomach in pain. Before she could heal him, two pairs of Lumiralans captured them and held them in place.

“Keep your hold on them until I deal with the girl,” he ordered before flying past the duo. Rose gasped upon hearing this. Silvermoon struggled as he held his hand out to the young princess shouting, “Crystal!” She heard him but was preoccupied with the Goodles.

“Just a second!” she shouted back. She continued lashing out at the Goodle trio unaware of Reala’s approach. Nights took notice while he was trying to break out and let out a silent gasp as he saw his sibling make a beeline for Crystal. To get her attention, he rammed into the side of his cage with his Drill Dash. She then felt a jolt of dread as her foresight kicked in. She noticed Silvermoon and Rose being held hostage by the Lumiralans, and Reala heading straight for her and fast. She looked up at Nights once the vision was done while using a barrier to protect herself from the dive-bombing Goodle trio. Nights pointed in Reala’s direction while waving his hand frantically. _He’s coming!_ When one of the Buzzares plunged right through the barrier, she continued her frenzied lashing with Rime Whip this time. As she did this, Reala was coming fast and with a malicious grin on his face. As soon as they stopped attacking and backed away is when she stopped in her confusion. She looked up at her adversary as soon as his voice rang out to her.

“Ha ha ha, Princess, your time is up!” Reala taunted her while approaching a terrified Crystal who gasped as he said this while backing one step away. As she did, Reala flew around her in a circle thrice over, and realizing what he was doing, she tried to retreat to Nights’ cage. Unfortunately, Reala was faster and activated his vortex with a snap of his fingers, causing the earth beneath her to collapse like a trapdoor. She nearly fell into the dipping portal before barely catching the edge of it while Reala laughed triumphantly. She struggled to pull herself up but managed to get her top half of the body over the edge before reaching out for the chain connecting the cage to the ground.

“Nights!” she called out to him her voice strained from the climb. As she tried to climb out, Reala seized the opportunity and swooped in grabbing her by the throat. As soon as they were in the air five feet above the vortex, he brought her close to his face as she struggled to breathe from his grip.

“Next time, don’t interfere!” he jeered as he threw her straight into the vortex at the last part of his sentence. Nights held his hand out to Crystal as his voice rang out in her mind, “No!!!” Tragically, it was too late. Crystal fell straight into the abyss of the vortex, her screams of terror filling the sky and penetrating the ears of those present. Reala, delighted to have finally captured the girl, laughed triumphantly voice echoing through the vortex of his design. Wherever the vortex is leading her to, it would be far worse than the last nightmare she endured.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The part where Reala activates the paraloop beneath Crystal's feet is loosely inspired by the final battle against the Other Mother in Coraline, specifically the movie version. If you haven't seen it yet, go watch it. It's a fantastic movie. In any case, expect the next chapter to be another encounter with one of Crystal's foes.


	25. Trapped in the Realm of Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal winds up in Nightmare, a place of broken dreams, fear, and doubt. To make it worse yet, she is in Reala's realm with no hope for escape. As she tries to find an area to use her Voyage, an old enemy of hers appears before her ready for battle. Will she defeat him, or will Nightmare claim its' latest victim?

In the realm of Nightmares, somewhere in Reala’s dimension, the scenery was shown to be in the sky with crow-like Nightmarens taking flight. A red and black vortex opened up and out came a screaming Princess Crystal. She felt as though she was falling for hours, but it was merely several minutes in the vortex. She looked around frantically as she twisted her body around to look at the change in scenery, her long, brown blonde-streaked hair fluttering upwards from the fall. As she looked around wearily while falling through the air, she noticed a clock tower in the distance in violet and red checkerboard. Only the clock face had a large eye that closely resembled one of the eyes of Wizeman the Wicked. The chime it made was distorted and strange. As she continued to fall, she looked around to see floating islands all with the same checkerboard design but this time in either red and blue, black and blue, or red and black. She then looked down just in time to see that she was fast approaching the ground and quickly panicked.

“Oh no!” she shouted frantically. She turned on her side and in a frightened frenzy, she clicked her heels thrice while shouting in succession, “Stop, stop, stop!” Just as she was about to give in to her fate, her telekinesis stepped in and let out a burst of light for a brief moment before she felt herself float gently to the ground. She looked around in a frantic state of terror hoping to find even a shred of friendly people in the area, but no such luck. She began to look around some more as she called out to the sky in vain.

“N-Nights!” she called out in fear as she landed safely on the ground behind some purple fog on the ground. The fog dispersed as she looked around frantically in a panic when she called out for other allies. “Cumula?! Pidge?! Anyone?!” She got herself up as she looked up at the dreary sky. As she looked up at the sky in hopelessness, she asked herself, “Where am I?” She began to pant as she felt that the air around her was heavy and constricting. She looked around at the new surroundings, the red and black checkerboard landscape with purple fog and a red and black cloudy sky. She knew that she was in for more than just a malicious surprise.

Crystal looked around the area to see that the landscape seemed rather familiar. She could not pinpoint what it was, however, as her memories had been tampered with for her protection. She began to walk around terror-stricken with nowhere else to go but forward. As she walked around aimlessly, a horrific realization fell from her lips.

“Am I back in the Nightmare Realm?” she asked herself. “I think I prefer the Stepford area more than this. This place is a mess of chaos and distortion.” She saw what appeared to be a path leading to another part of the realm. Seeing as though she had no choice, she walked forward to where she needed to go. _I need to get out of this realm somehow. If I can find a safe spot around here and use my Voyage, I’ll be back in the Quartz Palace in no time. Or better yet, the Dream Gate. I hope my friends are all right._ Crystal made her way through the realm and felt as though she was being followed. The air around her felt heavy and cold. After looking at the scenery one more time, she came to a terrifying conclusion. _This has to be Reala’s realm. The red and black interior is a dead giveaway._ She wasn’t sure if she was going in the right direction as Nightmare is known for its’ deception. She looked over at the distorted mountains and made note of the distorted partition. She went past it in hopes of finding someone, or something, that could help out of the mess she was in. _Maybe the kulning can get someone to help._ Keeping this in mind, she went forward past a duo of lit torches. Little did she know that help was already on their way.

In another part of the realm she was in, a pair of bat-like Nightmarens were tending to their gems when Crystal came running in their direction. The two creatures, one with a red oval gem, the other with a green rhombus gem, looked up to see her in a panicked state trying to find a way out. Unaware of these harmless creatures, she looked around the area for a brief moment before groaning in fear and running off. The two black bats then looked at her in surprise as if they recognized her somehow. They conversed with each other in chirps and clicks while smiling before taking off in her direction in hopes of getting her attention. She was too focused on trying to find a safe spot to even see them coming.

Crystal was walking around toward what appeared to be an area with distorted hills, blue torches, and partitions that seem to come alive. Among this area were shadowy hands that seemed to be made of paper and covered with white specks. They seem to sway as if they were blown by the gentle wind. Crystal tried to get past them after noticing the path ahead of her, but one of the hands grabbed her wrist as if trying to pull her in. She struggled to get away, brandishing her Millennium Rod to zap the hand into letting go. It worked after five seconds of excruciating pain due to the long nails of the hand gripping her wrist. After healing the wound on her wrist, she put the rod back on the holster and continued her trek. The bat-like Nightmarens followed her at a distance. She was walking through the area for five minutes before noticing a yellow light in the distance. Crystal felt that this was a warm light as opposed to the cold darkness that surrounded the sky above her.

“Is that a Will o’ Wisp?” she pondered. “No. Could it be a Nightmaren? Only one way to find out.” She began to approach the light as it began to flicker slowly. As she made it to the light, it dispersed causing an auditory hallucination. The same gruff male teenage voice she heard when confronted with Wizeman’s palm pierced her ears in a malevolent whisper. _Your fear is what lead me to you._ Crystal shuddered upon hearing those words. _That voice,_ she thought. _It’s the kidnapper._ She shook her as her thoughts continued. _That despicable clown must have been listening in. But why would he bring me here to the Nightmare Realm and his realm no less?_ She thought it over before realizing that she had a mission to attend to.

“This is no time to procrastinate, Crystal,” she told herself. “Let’s get out of this place.” She began to walk away from the area to a new clearing, this time in what appeared to be a crater-filled area. Some small, others large, and a few covering the pillars in the area. She was certain that there was something off about this place as she looked around.

Crystal was searching for an entrance for her to enter to find an area to use her Voyage. Before she could find it, the same two bat-like Nightmarens began to encircle her while chirping excitedly. Crystal had mistaken it for an attack and began to bat away at them in a frenzy. They landed right on her arms as she covered her face and heart thinking they were after her Ideya of Courage. But when she felt that they were tapping her playfully, she opened her previously shut eyes to see the red gem wearing bat waving to her before crawling quickly to her left hand. She took her arm away from her face to look at the little guy who was beaming at her with an adorable smile. She realized that it looked familiar. She had a flashback to her younger self speaking to the same pair of bat-like Nightmarens while hiding somewhere in a cave. The flashback ended with her grunting in pain as she heard a cracking sound as if the glass wall had widened its crack. She looked at the little one once more for clarity.

“Bela?” she asked. The bat with the red gem nodded enthusiastically as she looked at the one with the green gem adding, “Stella?” The other bat beamed and tilted its’ head warmly at her the moment she said its’ name. She chuckled slightly before hugging the duo. They chirp and clicked under her hand as she nuzzled them happily. After drawing them back, she inquired, “What happened to you two?” They chirped a little when she asked them, but she was able to understand them despite the language barrier.

“You were bat away by the kidnapper?” she said sadly. “You poor things. I’m glad you guys are all right.” They nodded and chirped a little to let her know their plan.

“You want to help me escape this place?” she asked. They chirped almost in unison while nodding.

“Thank you so much!” she told them while hugging them close and squeezing them slightly. She let go allowing them to rest on her shoulders. The two bats, now known as Bela and Stella, have joined her cause. Stella flew off her right shoulder and chirped indicating that she had found something of interest. Crystal followed the little bat as she tapped her finger on the gate twenty feet ahead of her. Crystal noticed something about the entrance that piqued her interest. Two torches were in front of the door, yet something was amiss.

“Someone forgot to light the second torch,” she noted. She walked up to the torch and took note of the height. It appeared to be about six feet in height. This didn’t both her however as she was used to objects being taller than her. Stella returned to her shoulder soon after Crystal she activated a flame to light the torch with. By flicking it upwards, the flame reached it with little effort. She noticed that when it did, it changed from orange to blue. This startled the girl as she was not expecting it. Luckily for her, the door opened and she was able to pass through. As she did, she felt a sense of dread in the air. Her nightmare was not over yet.

Crystal continued her trek through the realm of red and black checkerboard hoping to find a way out. She was in another part of the realm that seemed to be wide-spread with doubt. She spotted an area with platforms for her to jump across. She ran up to it and with careful timing, and a little help from Bela, she managed to get across just fine. She also noticed something in the distance, to which Bela flew right up to it to confirm her suspicions. _Another one of those torch puzzles._ She took note of there being four torches this time as opposed to two from last time. Bela showed her which ones to light up and she followed. After lighting the ones that weren’t lit, the gate behind the torches opened. In a rather quick motion, she ran through as if she had seen a ghost. As she did, Aricolumn was watching her at a distance. He watched as she made her way to what appeared to be a round-about route filled with distorted pillars and partitions. With his former beloved trapped in the Nightmare Realm, he grinned wickedly before leaving her to her entrapment.

Meanwhile, at the resistance headquarters, Nightmaria had been watching Crystal the whole time and had witnessed the entire event. She had been keeping a close eye on her since Reala’s interception. As she continued to stare into the crystal ball, Lumière entered the room. He was concerned over what had transpired but remained hopeful for a more pleasant outcome.

“Well, aside from Nights, Rose, and Silvermoon getting captured,” he told her with a calm expression, “and the kid ending up in Nightmare again thanks to you-know-who, I’ve got some good news.” Nightmaria looked at him stoically as he said this.

“What news would that be?” she inquired.

“First off, the two little Screechers are with her so she’s not alone,” stated Lumière, “and second, we’ve got a light of hope in the dark.”

“A light of hope?” Nightmaria repeated the last part perplexed. “What are you implying?” She then heard Crystal’s voice from the crystal ball and turned her head toward it. Crystal sounded as if she were vocalizing a melody of sorts, almost as if she were a siren calling for someone to come to her. Nightmaria recognized what she was doing.

“The kulning?” she inquired looking into the crystal ball.

“Yep,” replied Lumière with a wink while waving his cane. “Turns out our little princess is a Valkyrie. And what luck, Prisma’s spirit is heading in her direction to give her a hand.”

“Well,” said Nightmaria with a smile. “May fortune favor the foolish.” She nodded in approval of Crystal’s plan. With the princess realizing what she must do, she knew that there would be hope for her after all. All she needed to do was use this hope to find a wait out of Nightmare.

Back in Nightmare, Crystal had just entered the area filled with distorted pillars and partitions. She had noted that there was what appeared to be a chair in the distance. It looked distorted four tendrils were protruding from behind the arms. She felt a sense of unease overcome her as she observed it through her foresight. It was on a towering platform with no staircase insight. The chair itself was red with black stripes adorning the tendril-like back as well as the arms and seat. Crystal, having deactivated her foresight, was a bit startled by the design. Although she had no choice in the matter, as she was going in that direction, she had to take a closer look for confirmation. She made it past the round-about, and headed straight down the narrow path, the purple fog skirting around her feet as she ran. As her three-inch heels echoed through the realm, her two Screecher friends were clinging onto her. They refused to leave her side. When she made it to the throne’s location, she took a closer look. It looked as though it was seven feet in the air. Crystal couldn’t reach it even if she wanted to use her telekinetic power to do so.

“Nice throne,” she noted. “He must be a prince or something. I’m not surprised considering who made him.” She then looked over to the left to see another clearing in the distance. Taking her chance, she ran for it as if her life depended on it. Little did she know that there was a higher being watching her the entire time.

Meanwhile, in another part of Nightmare, Reala had just entered a dark cave containing the quartz crystals that either he or his minions had gathered. Ruby was busy polishing them when he entered and she looked in his direction. Aricolumn was overseeing her work when he looked up. Ruby used her telekinesis to fold up the large cloth she was using earlier before turning around.

“I take it you snagged my good twin?” she inquired.

“She’s cavorting about in my realm as we speak,” replied Reala. He looked over at the torchlight behind her to see an image of Crystal running past his throne room giving off a mock pout while adding, “Poor little princess. Lost in a world completely unknown to her.” He chuckled upon saying these words. Aricolumn looked to the torchlight as well with a slight frown.

“Knowing her all too well,” he told him, “she may be forced to call out to anyone for assistance. She is a Valkyrie by nature and by her destined path.” Ruby nodded in agreement with his statement. As Aricolumn used his frost to place the smokey quartz they obtained in place, Crystal’s voice is heard as if it were on cue. Her melodic voice rang out as if calling by the wind. Reala looked to the torchlight along with Ruby and Aricolumn once they heard her kulning.

“Yep, there it is,” said Ruby as she turned her head back to Reala with a smirk while he grinned. He approached the torchlight as Crystal’s voice rang out again.

“Keep calling them all you want, my dear,” Reala spoke to the image. “They can’t hear you in Nightmare.” He chuckled upon seeing her run toward the area she spied in the distance. He was certain that she was trapped. Unbeknownst to him, however, fortune is about to smile upon her.

In the area Crystal was traversing to, a group of wicked 3rd Level Nightmarens was all conversing with one another as Clawz came onto the scene. They greeted the big panther as he growled at them in acknowledgment. He purred slightly when they beamed at him. Suddenly, Crystal’s siren-like voice rang out as if she was vocalizing a melody in the wind.

“Ah ah, ah ah!”

Those that heard her kulning looked over at her with a sneer, some of which were snickering at her futile attempt to call for help. Clawz growled mockingly at the girl as she ran up to the location but much further away from them. She stopped running before trying her kulning again. Only this time, it was at a higher note than the last.

“Ah ah, ah ah!”

Alas, no one had come to her aid at a moments’ notice. As she realized this, she began to lose every last bit of hope she had left. But then, her choker, which up until now had been quiet, lit up like a small beacon as a familiar voice rang out in a calm whisper in her mind much to her surprise. _I hear you, and I’m coming._

“Prisma?” she asked quietly in a slight whisper. The moment she said this name, a small flurry of lights began to float in front of her and fly back to where she needed to go. The lights quickly formed into the familiar form of Prisma’s spirit. She beckoned to the young princess calmly and peacefully without making her worry.

“This way,” she spoke to her, her voice as calm as her expression. She turned in the direction Crystal needed to be and began to float away from her. The young princess breathed a sigh of relief. Help had arrived at long last.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she spoke finally as she ran to where Prisma was going. She followed the spirit with hope in her heart despite lacking such an Ideya within her. As she continued to follow the spirit, a looming shadow can be seen in the distance. A higher being was about to appear before her.

Crystal, with Bela and Stella in tow, began to follow the Prisma spirit at a distance. She came across an area that contained a large chasm with platforms hovering about it. Prisma’s spirit was on the other side of the thirty-foot chasm waiting for Crystal to cross. Knowing this, Bela went straight to the first platform she needed to go to. Crystal followed knowing what he was doing right away. He continued to point to which platform to go to until she managed to get across the chasm with little effort. Bela returned to Crystal’s shoulder while Prisma floated away from her and beckoned her to follow.

“I’m coming Prisma,” she told her. “Hopefully the area you’re leading me to is the safest one in this realm. I swear it feels like a maze in here.” Crystal continued to follow Prisma’s spirit from a distance in hopes of using her Voyage to escape the Nightmare Realm. She, along with Bela and Stella, came across what appeared to be a pendulum puzzle. With careful timing, she made it past the large pendulums without being knocked off by their sheer size. _Reala has been training here since his creation. No wonder he’s so strong._ Crystal didn’t have time to compliment her enemy as she began to run towards Prisma’s spirit once more. She was leading her to what appeared to be a clearing surrounded by distorted hills. Crystal can see that it was ahead of two lines of torches, four on the left, and four on the right. Crystal walked through them with each pair lighting up with blue flames as she walked past them.

As soon as Crystal went through the final two torches and past the arch in front of them, she spied Prisma in the distance. She was beckoning her to come when she was suddenly bound by chains that seemed to spring from the ground. She was quickly dispersed the moment they tightened their group. The chains disappeared into mist soon after. Crystal, having witnessed the whole thing, was shocked to see that her guiding light was put out like a candle. She began to panic as she shook her head. _No, no, no! I can’t lose her again! She’s already been through enough when she was alive!_ In a desperate attempt to call her, she used the kulning again.

“Ah ah, ah ah!”

The moment she did so, a low rumble is heard above her. She looked around for the source, even toward the sky to be sure she wasn’t hallucinating again. As she looked toward the sky from left to right, she saw a frightening sight. As she gazed upon the dreary sky, a large ominous figure rose above her blocking the crimson red moon as if it were eclipsing its’ light from the world below. Six huge eyes appeared above her in a quick motion and glared at her from above startling the girl and making her yelp in terror as she fell to the ground with a thud, her two Screecher friends cowering in fear. Then a familiar, eerie, god-like laugh pierced the sky and her ears as she stared up at the six eyes in abject horror. Out from the shadows came the hands of Wizeman the Wicked. He dispersed the darkness surrounding his true form as one of the hands approached the young princess.

“Foolish girl,” his booming voice echoed through the air. “None can heed the call of the Valkyrie in this realm. Your efforts are in vain. Unless you dispatch my champion, you are to wonder this realm of unyielding darkness forever.” Crystal realized what he meant when he mentioned this. She got herself up from her position before clenching her Millennium Rod.

“It’s not going to be Reala, is it?” she asked rather regrettably. “Because frankly, I’ve had about enough of that clown’s games.”

“Reala is tending to your next 2nd Level Nightmaren,” Wizeman responded. “In his place, you shall fight one of your own from the realm of Twilus. You may remember him from your many bouts against him, child of Queen Lorelei.” Crystal was not surprised in the slightest that he knew of her mother, nor of the villains, she had fought over the years.

“Joke’s on you,” she told him trying to be courageous along with a stern tone. “I already fought Ruby and Aricolumn. And Zorc is already a wandering spirit.”

“But you have yet to face one of your rivaling ability,” replied Wizeman menacingly. “Behold, the one who became your tulpa.” His large hand began to move away from the girl as she watched it glide over the area opposite her. The hand clenched for a brief moment before opening up and letting out dark thunder from it. The lightning began to form an arch, then a frame, and then a black mirror. Crystal clenched her Millennium Rod tightly. She recognized the design right away as a dark-red, draconian design in the frame. She watched as the mirror allowed a shadow-like mist began to form in the glass. After only ten seconds, the mist formed into the shadowy man that Reala had conversed with all this time. As Wizeman vanished into a large cloud of billowing smoke, the man opened his eyes in a sneer showing a familiar pair of violet eyes. A low draconic growl came from the mirror. He stepped forward phasing through the glass itself as if it were but mist in the wind. Crystal’s eyes widened as she saw the figure before her very eyes. The man, who by now was no longer in shadow, was the very adversary she had feared to be the most dangerous of the Malevolent Shadows. King Rhett the Second has appeared before her in flesh and blood here in the Realm of Nightmares.

“Princess Crystal,” he spoke to her proudly with a grin. “We meet again.” Crystal’s blood ran cold the moment she heard him speak those words. She clenched her Millennium Rod harder.

“King Rhett?” she replied finally, her breath caught in her throat. “But…you’re supposed to be dead! Your spirit should have moved on!” King Rhett narrowed his eyes as if mocking her statement.

“Have you forgotten what I told you as a tulpa?” he asked rhetorically. “Even if the body dies, the spirit will continue to linger on Earth for all eternity. Especially when they have unfinished business to attend to. Now that we’ve finally crossed paths, warrior of hope and light, your coma will become your eternal slumber, once I deal with you here and now.” Crystal let out a grunt of fear as she clenched her Millennium Rod tighter at the hilt. King Rhett gripped his scabbard, located on the right side of his belt, and drew his sword with his left hand. Having had no choice in the matter, Crystal brandished her Millennium Rod ready for King Rhett’s moment to strike.

“Bela, Stella, take cover somewhere,” she told her Screecher friends. “I’ll take care of this tyrant.” Bela and Stella nodded before flying off to hide from their mutual foe. King Rhett ran his finger down the side of the blade with a smug smile.

“The term you’re searching for is conqueror,” he told her. “Now…” He paused and swung his sword forward and thrust it toward her without moving from his spot and shouting with a malicious grin, his pupils shrunken with madness, “En garde, Princess Crystal!” Crystal spun her Millennium Rod thrice before holding it in front of her face in a battle stance with a stoic and brave expression. Her battle with King Rhett has just begun.

King Rhett’s gloved right hand is shown close up as he snapped his fingers. This caused several Ruby Daggers to attack Crystal as ran around dodging each one, even performing an aerial twist backward to avoid them, and landing on her feet. She looked up angrily at her adversary as King Rhett himself walked onto the battlefield at least seven feet ahead of her. After showing his face to her, he brought his sword to the front of himself and slid his right hand across his mighty Dragon Flame sword with his signature grin.

Crystal began to run around the field as King Rhett used his signature move Ruby-Spears, a move in which he summons six ruby spears and commands them to circle her like a halo. They circled her thrice before he snapped his fingers causing them to stab the girl and disappear soon after. This caused significant damage to her as she brought herself back up from where she was. She ran around the arena again, this time while shielding herself, as well as healing herself in the process. As she charged an attack of her own, King Rhett, seeing an opportunity, flew straight toward her with his sword beside him. He broke her shield and slashed her with four strikes before landing one more strike, causing some more damage to her. This forced her to heal as soon as he backed away from her a few feet.

Having had enough of his majesty’s interference, she activated the spell Twilight Flash. This blinded King Rhett for a while and Crystal activated her Diamond Sabre attack before running up to him for an up-close and personal bout. She refused to use Lava Sabre, or any other fire spell for that matter, due to his immunity to fire, an ability he has been equipped with due to his status as a manakete. King Rhett sensed her coming to her with the Diamond Sabre and brandished his sword at the front just in time for her to slash at him. He parried most of her attacks with his blade except for her flurry of slashes and riposte. She dealt some damage to him before running away from him to give him space to recover. He managed to wake himself from his daze rather quickly, and the battle resumed.

King Rhett began to walk toward Crystal with a malicious grin on his face. He paused before charging what appeared to be Dark Core, a move in which the user creates a sphere of dark energy in their hand. He then released it toward Crystal causing her to dodge the attack. However, the Dark Core ricocheted off a nearby pillar and struck her in the back causing some damage in the process. She healed herself soon after and began to charge a Light Magic spell to counteract his Dark Magic. As she did, he activated the spell Ember Swarm, a spell that summons an array of tiny fireballs to swarm the opponent, to beguile the young princess. She maintained her focus, however, even while she took minimal damage from the attack. After charging for about ten seconds, she unleashed the spell, Seraphim Lux. This spell is a supernova of a spell that unleashes a powerful wave of light and slams the opponent into a nearby wall, such as the case with King Rhett. After he was incapacitated, Crystal activated her Diamond Sabre again and slashed at him. King Rhett awoke just in time to see her about to strike once more before blocking her strike. After this, she backed away allowing him some space.

King Rhett activates the spell Shadow Lightning causing a huge storm of black lightning bolts to appear throughout the arena. Although she is immune to thunder and lightning due to her Lightning Rod, she was severely vulnerable to darkness. She took severe damage from some of the lightning strikes. She tried to heal her wounds but was blocked every time by King Rhett striking her with a slash of his sword. Having had enough of this, she used Sereph’s Ring to create a make-shift barrier of rings. Not only did it block his sword strikes, but it also blinded him for three seconds, allowing her some time to heal herself.

The battle continued as King Rhett used the spell Ruby Stalagmite causing a wave of ruby spires to sprout from the ground and head straight for Crystal, causing massive damage to her in the process as well as disabling her Sereph’s Ring. She healed herself again, and countered with Thor’s Hammer, effectively causing the wave of lightning to surround the two and cause damage to the king. She ran up to him while activating her Halo Sabre and began to slash him repeatedly with a series of strikes ending with a riposte. Unfortunately, the battle wasn’t over yet. King Rhett recovered as she ran back to her position of the field and began to charge a different attack.

Crystal anticipated his next move thanks to her knowledge of the tyrannical monarch. King Rhett used the spell Draconic Pulse causing a tumultuous heatwave to blanket the arena. Crystal activated her Aqua Shield just in the nick of time before she was seared off the face of Nightmare. As soon as he was finished with the attack, he activated Ruby-Spears once more, which worked the same way as last time. This time, however, she managed to get out of the way before they struck her, and she used the spell Supreme Thunder causing a large thunderstorm to blanket the arena. The dragon king did not relent despite the damage sustained during the storm. He used the spell Lava Plume to incinerate her, only for her to retaliate with Tidal Wave, dispersing the flames.

King Rhett anticipated this and activated his Umbral Sabre, imbuing his sword with Dark Magic. Crystal, realizing what he was doing, activated her Halo Sabre once again to counteract his Umbral Sabre. He practically flew on the ground toward the princess as the two clashed swords with one another. After a series of parries from both parties, Crystal finished the sword battle with a riposte, striking the dragon king. She jumped away from him anticipating his recovery.

Having had enough at this point, Crystal finally began to use her magic to its’ fullest. She used the spell Etoile Magica to damage the king, only for him to dodge the attack, and strike her with a powerful Pyrokinetic Vortex, a vertical tornado of flames. She then used the spell Crescent Cartwheel, the Moon equivalent to Galactic Cartwheel, to ram into King Rhett. She also activated Halo Sabre again, just in case. He knew what she was doing, and prepared his Umbral Sabre for impact. Crystal held out her saber as he blocked it. As the two are locked in a power struggle, several waves of light and dark aura were shrouding the two while they pushed their attacks against each other. Crystal did not give up however and continued to push with all her might. Eventually, she broke through his defense and struck the dragon king with a resounding slash. She then promptly spun the Millennium Rod in her hand before putting it back in the holster. As she did, her arch-nemesis is shown imploding from the impact of her attack roaring in anger. Crystal was victorious.

King Rhett jumped back with anger as if Crystal had blown him away with enough force to topple an elephant. After a brief scowl, he produced a nose-sigh softly and smiled. As he did, he sheathed his sword and stood proudly to her. As he did, Crystal had already put her Millennium Rod away while Bela and Stella came to her side.

“You have grown stronger since our last encounter, my dear,” he told her. “That is all for now.” Crystal became suspicious upon hearing his words though she paid no heed to it.

“Let me guess,” she spoke up. “Wizeman asked you to help him out with getting Nights back home no matter the reason for his refusal. I’m surprised you’re able to even go to Nightopia, let alone the Nightmare Realm despite being dead. The question I have is how this is possible.” King Rhett chuckled upon hearing her statement.

“Those who have become tulpas in the past shall enter and exit the Night Dimension as they please,” he explained, “even if they have become mere phantoms in the real world. As for my allegiance with Wizeman the Wicked, I chose to assist him in regards to the Nightopian Resistance. You should know that I am a man of my word, Princess. Once I find out where your Nightmaren cohorts are hiding out, I promise that their downfall will be quite the spectacle. Farewell, for now, Princess Crystal. This will not be the end of our many encounters.” With those words, he flourished his salmon-red cloak and vanished into a shadow-like mist leaving Princess Crystal and her two Screecher allies alone. She wasn’t surprised at his sudden disappearance but wasn’t about to stand around throughout her dream.

“Sorry about that, you two,” she told her companions. “Sometimes old enemies would ambush me no matter where I go. Anyway, let’s go find a safe spot to use my Voyage.” Bela and Stella chirped in agreement. Just when she was about to walk forward, a sudden jolt of electricity shot through her mind as if she had been jolted back into reality.

“Crystal!” Owl’s voice rang out. “Can you hear me?!”

“Owl?” she asked perplexed by the sudden telepathic message.

“Hoo! Thank goodness!” he called to her. “I knew for sure we would break through Nightmare’s telepathic barrier!”

“Owl,” Crystal told the voice. “I’m stuck in the Nightmare Realm. I’ve trying to find a good place to use my-,” She was cut off by Owl’s frantic message.

“Well, perhaps now isn’t a good time to surge forward!” he called out to her. “Wizeman has sent a hoard of Nightmarens to capture you as well as your two companions! You must use your Voyage from you’re standing to escape Nightmare! Don’t bother returning to the Quartz Palace just yet as they will likely be waiting for you there! Hurry! We don’t have much time!” Crystal realized what needed to be done the moment she heard the urgency in Owl’s tone.

“Well, I guess we’re going back to the Dream Gate first,” she told Bela and Stella with a frightened look on her face. She looked back to where she was to see a rather large hoard of 3rd Level Nightmarens coming in the trio’s direction. As the army of malevolent creatures came racing toward them, Crystal thought fast.

“Voyage!” she shouted brandishing her Millennium Rod and creating a circle beneath her by spinning in a pirouette. She continued to spin as the hoard came closer. Once they tried to grab her and her Screechers, her circle was complete, and jumped right into the vortex beneath herself, closing it in the process. The 3rd Level Nightmarens wasn’t fast enough to catch her and ran right into each other causing a dog-pile. They immediately dispersed soon after. Some of them were frustrated at the event, while others sulked about losing their prey. Crystal, Bela, and Stella have escaped unharmed.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally know who the mystery man is. Say hello to King Rhett the Second, belonging to MagicMe123 of YouTube. Now this villain has been a thorn in Crystal's side since she was twelve, and let's just say, he still views her as a rival after all those years. As for his abilities, one of them that I had showcased is Flame Guard, meaning he is immune to fire. The reason is that he's a manakete, and I don't mean the ones from Fire Emblem. Manaketes, in the Twilight Wars universe, are either Magicians of Light, or Sorcerers of Darkness, that are born with the ability to become dragons at will. And considering King Rhett himself is a monarch, this makes it all the more terrifying. As for Crystal's kulning, this is only available for Valkyries such as herself. Their voices can reach thousands of miles when they're in danger.


	26. A Daring Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal has escaped the Nightmare Realm unscathed, but now must rescue Nights, Rose, and Silvermoon from their respective cages before they are taken back to where she escaped from. Once she does so, what lies ahead will be waiting for her in the wings.

Crystal, Bela, and Stella were all falling down her vertical tunnel together to the Dream Gate. The young princess kept them in her bag to keep them safe while they huddled together in the same satchel. They continued their descent for about ten seconds or so before the light beneath them grew brighter than the stars above. The trio has made it to its’ destination.

Owl was waiting for Crystal’s arrival at the Dream Gate while frantically flapping his wings. Nightmaria, Luminaire, and Seraphinite were with him as well to keep him company while he flew back in forth in a frantic state. His fear subsided when he saw Crystal’s paraloop vortex appear five feet in the sky and out came Crystal, Bela, and Stella. A group of Nightopians saw them fall out and pointed up at them, garnering Owl’s attention. Cumula and Pidge exited the resistance headquarters just in time to see their master arrive from above. They bounced happily as they flew right to where she was going to land. Crystal thought quickly and activated her telekinesis to float back down to the ground. She collapsed with exhaustion with a hoard of Nightopians gathered around her.

“Everyone out of the way!” Nightmaria commanded as she flew right up the young princess. The Nightopians all dispersed letting her pass as soon as they heard her, with a select few stayed with the young princess. They babbled a bit for her to look up, which she did. Cumula and Pidge flew right to her joining Nightmaria who placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder. Crystal looked up at the trio and the group of Nightopians breathing a sigh of relief. Nightmaria unclasped her cape and wrapped it around her as if she were out in the cold for too long. Bela and Stella emerged from Crystal’s satchel and approached Cumula and Pidge who greeted them with their respective bleat and caw. Luminaire was impressed by their sudden appearance while saying, “Hey. A pair of Screechers. Hello, you two.” Bela and Stella greeted her in chirps and clicks in return while Owl and Seraphinite approached the young princess.

“Hoo, thank goodness you’re all right,” said Owl relieved. “Escaping Nightmare is quite difficult, especially when the visitor’s heart is weakened from losing the Ideya they once possessed.”

“How was trip number two to Nightmare?” asked Seraphinite trying to lighten the mood.

“Darkest place ever,” replied Crystal, who by that point had risen from the ground. The Nightopians all clamored in agreement with some of them showing signs of fear.

“Well, you’re safe now, my child,” replied Nightmaria replied. “Any longer and your Ideya of Courage would have lost its’ light completely, let alone having your body stripped of your soul.” Crystal sighed slightly as if she were relieved to hear that she had not lost the final fragment of her heart, but also shuddered at the mere thought of being trapped in her coma forever. Nightmaria added, “Right now, we need to restore your strength for the rescue ahead. Only fools enter the battle exhausted.”

“All right,” replied Crystal understanding what she meant. She was too exhausted to protest as Owl, Nightmaria, Luminaire, Seraphinite, her four Nightmaren pets, and the Nightopians all lead her to the door to the resistance headquarters. They entered and are greeted by Morganite, Rhodonite, and Hikaru. The latter flew up to Crystal the moment they entered.

“Great almighty Morpheus, are you all right?” she asked her frantically. “I can’t believe our former superior just did that!”

“Toss me into the Nightmare Realm?” asked Crystal. “Yeah. He’s been stalking me the whole time.” Rhodonite and Morganite looked somberly at the ground upon hearing her words. Luminaire glared at the image of Reala in the portrait above with what appeared to be the words, “Do not engage unless confronted” written in what appeared to be a red marker.

“Typical Nightmaren,” chimed Lumière, “always stalking the prey before the capture.” He entered the area while twirling his hat on the bottom part of his cane. “I’ve seen him do this plenty of times while I was still part of the army. When I got tired of him using me for the distraction, I had to pull my best trick yet to escape. Of course, I had to leave my persona behind to pull it off even though it eventually came back to me in the end.” He bounced his hat off the cane as it spat out a hand-sized orb before landing on his head. He held the orb to a worn-out Crystal as it blinked slowly, indicating her Dark Ideya about to strike. He nodded with a smile before putting the orb away and calling to an ally behind him, “Dr. Fergali, you have a returning patient.” Dr. Fergali, having heard of Crystal’s plight, came from behind the flying magician and scanned her rather quickly.

“Her Dark Ideya is about to take hold,” he told the others. “I will need her in my office. Quickly.” Crystal nodded as if giving consent for the operation. She was already in the hospital in the real world, so felt that it was no point in arguing with the doctor. The princess, Owl, Nightmaria, Lumière, Luminaire, Hikaru, Rhodonite, Morganite, and her four Nightmaren pets all headed in the direction of Dr. Fergali’s office in hopes of helping her back on her feet.

Meanwhile, back in Nightmare, Reala had seen the entire battle between Crystal and King Rhett and was quite impressed with their bout despite the latter losing to the former. He was watching her being taken to Dr. Fergali’s office through the torchlight with a smirk as she agreed to his suggestion. He knew she would be exhausted from the battle, and from wandering the realm he had placed her in. As he changed the image, a mechanical sound is heard behind him as the same gigantic mechanical scorpion is shown right behind him, its chamber glowing in the darkness. He looked over at the creature as King Rhett himself entered the area.

“Detecting Dark Ideya,” the creature spoke. It sounded exactly like Nights. However, it seemed to be a mechanized voice as if it was speaking like a computer. “Detecting Red Ideya.”

“Have a little patience, Scorpinoir,” Reala told it. “It won’t be long before their reunion comes to pass.” King Rhett was looking into the torchlight which now showed Crystal being treated for her Dark Ideya.

“And it may be sooner than you think,” he told him. Reala looked over at the image to see Crystal gasping for air as Hikaru was healing her mental state. The Red Ideya was shining through her hands and she was giving off a benevolent aura that seemed to shield her from the dark aura trying to enclose on the girl. The dark aura seemed to be losing its bout with the two objects of light.

“As you can see,” stated King Rhett, “the Dark Ideya has already begun to subside, thanks to the combined efforts of her Ideya of Courage and her Shining Heart of Valor.”

“She’s resisting its power,” Reala noted with a sly smile.

“Precisely.” Reala turned to Scorpinoir once more and flew right to the chamber and pat it.

“Seems you’ll be in for quite a feisty one, my pet,” he told it as the doll within the chamber blushed slightly. Reala chuckled as his gaze went back to Crystal’s image in the torchlight. She had just finished fighting the Dark Ideya at this point. Reala knew she would recover eventually, and his patience and determined spirit were going to pay off.

In Dr. Fergali’s office, Crystal looked up to see the good doctor whipping up a green potion of sorts to help her with her health. She was surrounded by several members of the resistance, including Hikaru, Lumière, Owl, and Nightmaria. As she saw Dr. Fergali put the potion in a clean needle, she breathed in and held her breath knowing exactly what he was planning to do.

“No no no, don’t do that. Don’t do that,” said Hikaru frantically waving her hands to get her to stop. Luminaire and Lumière started laughing at the young princess for her antics.

“What are you, a Balooga?” said Seraphinite teasing Crystal. “Spit that out.” Crystal blew out her breath the moment she was told to. Lumière chuckled slightly.

“Your pain will increase if you hold your breath,” Nightmaria scolded slightly. Crystal realized what she meant and relaxed before Dr. Fergali gave her a reassuring pat on her shoulder. She looked over at the potion and recognized what it was from its’ coloration. She chuckled slightly.

“I see the good doctor’s been doing his homework,” she remarked rather pleased with his diligence. “That’s our nation’s elixir, isn’t it?”

“That is correct, your highness,” Dr. Fergali replied while applying the needle to her causing a slight pinch. “Thankfully it has been modified to increase your stamina in the dream world as well as your world.” Crystal felt the effects taking place but didn’t rise from her position just yet. She wanted to let it sink in before she took off back to the Quartz Palace where Nights, Rose, and Silvermoon were being held.

“Well thanks to Reala,” she told her friends, “I practically failed the second trail. I lost the final quartz crystal to that despicable clown.”

“It isn’t your fault, dear,” said Owl.

“It turns out the milky quartz you were about to take back was the real target,” stated Hikaru. “The rest of quartz crystals were either decoys or spares. And I know that, by your logic, the milky quartz doesn’t have much by way of power in the Waking World, but it’s quite the opposite here in the Night Dimension.”

“That explains why he attacked at the climax,” Crystal noted.

“We’ve got more important matters on our hands!” Owl interrupted rather sternly and urgently. “The Goodles are already escorting Nights, Rose, and Silvermoon back to Nightmare! Wizeman the Wicked is more than likely to reset the three if they make it there!” Crystal realized that she had a mission to attend to, and after her healing process was completed in a matter of seconds, she got up from her position, even returning Nightmaria’s cape in the process.

“Then this is no time to stand or float around like statues,” she told her allies courageously. “I’m going back to the Quartz Palace. Specifically their last known location; the Alexandrite Canyon. This trial is not over yet. Pidge, Cumula, Bela, Stella, you’re with me!” Her four Nightmaren pets all flew toward her and took their respective positions. Rhodonite and his siblings encouraged her while Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief, Lumière tipped his hat with a wink, and Nightmaria gave her nod of approval. Crystal began to move her hand in a circle to create her vortex, and as soon as it was made, she jumped in along with her band of Nightmaren allies causing the vortex to vanish. Nightmaria clasped a heart-shaped necklace around her neck as she did this.

“Good luck, Princess Crystal,” she told her. She knew that she was ready for the rescue, and she was not willing to stand in the way of a Valkyrie’s resolve. Crystal’s fortune was about to turn for the better.

As they continued to fall through the vertical tunnel, Crystal held onto Cumula while the Shleep puffed its body to form a large cloud underneath her. Bela and Stella held on to her shoulders while Pidge dive-bombed for faster travel. It only took twenty seconds to reach their destination as the light below began to become brighter. As a burst of light emerged, they have finally arrived.

A vortex appeared near the entrance to the Alexandrite Canyon just in the nick of time. Crystal and the others jumped out of the portal and looked around while it closed behind them. They can see that the area was covered in 3rd Level Nightmarens all out on patrol. Crystal knew what to do thankfully as she brandished her Millennium Rod.

“We’re right back at the Alexandrite Canyon,” Crystal spoke up to her allies. She spotted a second entryway next to the one she and Nights entered together when they began the trial while adding, “And aren’t we lucky, there is a shortcut to the monolith. Let’s head in that direction, and knock out some Level Three Nightmarens along the way.” Crystal and the others began to head in the direction of the shortcut. While they made their way over, an Eel-like Nightmaren spotted them and slithered in their air toward the group electrifying itself as a defensive measure. The Eel-like Nightmaren began to strike at the princess who stood her ground and pummeled him with a Diamond Sabre. After dispatching it, she and her allies made their way past the disappearing Nightmaren toward the shortcut. As they ran in that direction, a familiar face had surfaced on a nearby quartz crystal. Her mother Queen Lorelei had been checking on her daughter’s dreams and was intrigued by her entourage of Nightmaren pets. She was suspicious at first but then realized that they were helping her in the dream world. She smiled and disappeared from the image.

Crystal and her Nightmaren allies continued to traverse the shortcut straight to the monolith all the while taking down a few Nightmaren hoards along the way. Bela and Stella’s combined efforts to confuse their enemies proved to be useful against them. Crystal continued to use her elemental prowess against them as she did, even using the spell Spiral Geyser against a Jack-o’ Wisp along the way, instantly causing it to disappear. They continued their trek through the shortcut until she came across a trio of cages in the distance. Some familiar faces were trapped inside. Crystal used her foresight just to be sure. In the cage in the far back was Nights. The cage seven feet ahead of him contained Silvermoon. The final one contained Rose.

“There’s our trio of captives!” she said rather excitedly as she deactivated her foresight. She ran right in the cages’ direction in hopes of rescuing her trapped allies. “Hang in there guys. I’m coming.” She continued her trek along with her Nightmaren entourage, even fighting through Nightmaren hoards along the way, as well as some solitary ones during this time. She managed to make her way to the same clearing that Reala had used his paraloop on to warp her away to Nightmare.

Nights was playing his invisible flute somberly as he waited for the inevitable. The Goodle above him at first paid no mind but was started to get a bit irritated by the sound he was making. Crystal was running toward the three cages when Rose spotted her. She motioned for her to look up, which she stopped and did.

“Crystal,” she spoke. “Thank goodness you’re all right.”

“Rose, what’s going on?” asked Crystal as the Goodle above the cage looked down at her mocking smirk.

“Those little pests up here,” replied Rose as she tapped the ceiling of her cage, “are waiting for an escort. If you can get to Nights and…”

“And do the same as last time?” Crystal inquired.

“Something like that,” she replied. “Nights told me you put the Goodle guarding him to sleep last time. I doubt a repeat performance is going to work now.”

“So what do I do?”

“Head straight to Nights’ cage and climb up the chain straight to him. You’ll be able to dualize with him once you do.” Crystal thought it over as Nightmaria’s voice rang out in her mind. _Most 2_ _nd_ _Level Nightmarens cannot be fooled by the same trick a second time. They can be quite unpredictable to humans, even when you expect the same result as the last._ She took a moment to relax before responding once more.

“Okay,” she told her. “I’ll be right with you as soon as I can.” Rose nodded before Crystal turned to the direction of Nights’ flute in the distance. She could tell that he was feeling remorse about being unable to save her on time. The Goodle looked up at the fast-approaching princess before the Buzzare shrieked in mockery with him giggling menacingly. Nights stopped playing when he heard this and looked over at Crystal just in time to see her and her pets waving at him frantically. His eyes lit up as he flew to the side of the cage placing his hands on the clear walls. The young princess stopped to gasp for air before looking back up.

“Nights,” she called up to him. “Sorry for the delay. Let’s just say I got held up somewhere.” The Goodle giggled again knowing what she was talking about.

“There’s no time to waste,” Crystal explained. “I’ve got just the ticket to get you out. No sleeping spell required.” She held her hand out to show her Ideya of Courage which began to glow profusely. Nights nodded enthusiastically upon seeing it for the second time.

“Well hurry up then!” he told her telepathically. “Let’s teach them a lesson they’ll never forget!” Crystal nodded in response and began to climb the chain. She continued to climb up the chain, even though one of the Nightmarens who saw her do so tried to stop her. A Gao tried to zap her, but she absorbed the bolts of lightning due to her Lightning Rod ability. She continued up her climb, even batting away a few 3rd Level Nightmarens by either shield herself, zapping some, or even summoning thorns on herself as a way of poking them if they got too close. She made it to the main cage and climbed right in while Nights flew about like a bee trapped in a glass jar. Crystal outstretched her hand to him and he pressed his hand to hers causing them to dualize. The Goodle who saw the whole thing couldn’t help but fly his Buzzare to the front of the cage and shaking the key in front of the duo.

“Your power’s not going to last very long without the key!” he taunted. “Catch me if you can!” He took off after putting the key away. Nights and Crystal exit the cage soon after to give chase.

“Thanks for running your grinning mouth, you stupid Goodle,” said Crystal slightly amused. Nights gave a silent laugh upon hearing her say this.

“They’re not very bright for being Reala’s henchmen,” he told her through telepathy.

“In any case, let’s get that key and disable that cage,” she replied. They flew after the Buzzare at a speed that could be the equivalent of a fighter jet. As they give chase, they also dealt with some 3rd Level Nightmarens that were getting in the way of the chase. They kept speeding up and even went through a few rings and blue chips, collecting them in the process. They eventually caught up with the Goodle and Buzzare duo and Nights touch-dashed him away grabbing the key in the process.

“All right, let’s head back to the cage,” Crystal instructed. “Shall we reverse course?”

“No need,” Nights chimed through telepathy. “The best way to go back is to go around the world.”

“Move from one area and still come back to it,” she noted. “Gotcha.” They flew past several pillars of jasper, smokey quartz, and lavender quartz until they finally reach Nights’ cage. Once they place the key on the side, both items disintegrated in a matter of seconds.

“One cage down, two to go,” Crystal noted. “Silverwolf is up next.”

“Silvermoon,” Nights corrected her through telepathy while winking.

“My apologies,” she replied slightly embarrassed. They see the green Buzzare just up ahead and gave chase as it began to fly away its’ rider the Goodle laughing wickedly at the duo. Nights continued to fly through the area while chasing down the bird and rider duo. They went past some floating pearl-like orbs, some 3rd Level Nightmarens they had to either Paraloop, Touch-Loop, or Drill Dash into, and some gems they activated in their spare time. They eventually keep up with the second Goodle and Touch-Dash it as well as the Buzzare away but not before snatching the key to Silvermoon’s cage.

“Great job partner!” Crystal spoke up ecstatic about their achievement. “Let’s head on over to Silvermoon and bust him out!” Nights nodded and flew off to the cage while dodging some 3rd Level Nightmarens along the way. After flying through a cave that contained crystals as far as the eye can see. Red, yellow, green, blue, and purple crystals lined the walls and ceilings of the cave. Nights Drill-Dashed into some of the growing ones causing them to break. Crystal didn’t mind as they can easily be replaced. When they made it out of the cave, they flew right over to a waiting Silvermoon who was still in his cage. His patience was like that of a saint and he beamed in their direction as they flew towards him with the key in hand. After using it to destroy the cage, thus freeing him from captivity, he bowed to them as a form of gratitude before flying back to the resistance headquarters.

“Morpheus bless you, Nights and Crystal,” he told them through telepathy as they took off after the final Goodle and Buzzare duo. “Rose is next to be freed from her Nightmare Capture. After you do so, the rest of this trial is yours to complete.”

“Roger that,” Crystal replied. “Hang in there, Rose. We’re coming.” Nights continued to fly after the final Goodle and Buzzare duo, this time going through another cave that seemed to double as a mining area of sorts. Crystal, as enamored as she was with the gemstones lining up the place, maintained her focus as she and Nights continued to chase the bird and rider while weaving through huge crystal quartz of all colors to catch up to it. She noticed that there were mirrors in the area as well, and she used this, as well as her foresight, to guide Nights through the cave. They eventually find the exit and they catch up to the final Goodle grabbing him. They snatched the final key before Tap-Dashing it and its’ Buzzare companion away.

“That was the last key, Nights,” Crystal chimed in. “And lucky us, Rose is just up ahead!”

“Perfect timing, too!” Nights’ voice rang out in her mind. The duo flew straight toward the cage and even dodged some 3rd Level Nightmarens along the way. After they reach her cage, Rose waved enthusiastically to them. They used the key to disable her cage and she twirled around like a ballerina before curtsying to them. She then took off to the resistance headquarters.

“Thank you so much, you two!” she piped up through telepathy as they took off to land somewhere. “The 2nd Level Nightmaren you need to fight is just up ahead to where you’re going! Good luck and kick that thing’s butt!”

“Will do!” Nights chimed back telepathically. The two flew off in the direction of Crystal’s next trail Nightmaren. They knew it would come eventually, and they were right. As they took off, a familiar face was shown in the crystal quartz they had flown past. Crystal’s godfather Atem, whose hair is now longer and required to be in a low ponytail, was watching the duo with a satisfied smile. As they disappeared from view, he nodded in their direction as if giving his blessing to Nights to protect her while she slept. He disappears from the quartz crystal soon after.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Balooga, for those curious about it, is one of the enemies from Journey of Dreams. It's essentially based off the puffer fish of the real world. I apologize for not going into detail.


End file.
